DHAKA: Iraqi forces have made a ‘tactical’ withdrawal from three western towns, a security spokesman said on Sunday, as Sunni militants widened an offensive that has already overrun swathes of territory.

‘The military units’ withdrawal (from Al-Qaim, Rawa and Ana) was for the purpose of redeployment,’ Lieutenant General Qassem Atta said, referring to it as a ‘tactical’ move.

Witnesses said insurgents moved into Rawa and Ana, in Anbar province, on Saturday evening, after security officers and witnesses also reported militants entering Al-Qaim earlier in the day.

Anti-government fighters have held all of one city in Anbar and areas of a second since early January, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1917 HRS, JUNE 22, 2014