Iraqi forces recaptured a northern village from ISIS on Friday, hours after the extremist militia seized it in a surprise counter-attack, a local security official said. The forces, backed by helicopters, dislodged Islamic State militants from the village of Abu Dalf in the northern province of Salah al-Din, the official added. Eight government troops, including two senior officers, were killed in the fighting. "Six Daesh elements were also killed," the official added, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS. "The situation is completely under security forces' control," he added. ISIS has been carrying out a string of counter-attacks in different parts of Iraq in an attempt to hamper a US-backed military campaign to drive the extremist militia from its key stronghold of Mosul. Fighters from ISIS overran Abu Dalf following a major dawn attack and seized some government facilities, including a police station there. A suicide bomber from ISIS also blew himself up at a government military meeting in the area, killing three and injuring nine, an Iraqi security official said earlier Friday.
