Iraqi forces said they fought off an overnight attack by Islamic State militants east of the city of Ramadi, which the insurgents overran at the weekend in the most significant setback for the government in a year.
The insurgents attacked government lines in Husaiba al-Sharqiya, about halfway between Ramadi and the Habbaniya military base, said police and pro-government forces.
“Daesh (Islamic State) attacked us around midnight after a wave of mortar shelling on our positions," Amir al-Fahdawi a leader of the pro-government Sunni tribal force in the area, told Reuters.
"This time they came from another direction in an attempt to launch a surprise attack, but we were vigilant and, after around four hours of fighting, we aborted their offensive,” he added.
Islamic State militants are seeking to consolidate their gains in the vast desert province of Anbar, where only small pockets of territory remain under government control, strung out along the Euphrates river valley and the border with Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The Habbaniya base is roughly midway between Ramadi and the town of Fallujah, which has been under Islamic State control for more than a year and is just 50 km (32 miles) from the Iraqi capital.
