Iraqi forces today launched an attack against militant held areas southeast of the Islamic State group's bastion of Hawija. <br/><br/>Government forces and the Hashed al-Shaabi, an alliance mostly of Shiite militias, are fighting to retake the northern town of Hawija after expelling IS from large parts of the territory they seized in Iraq in 2014. <br/><br/>The Hashed al-Shaabi confirmed the offensive and said it had retaken five villages west of Rashad, which is 35 kilometres southeast of Hawija.