Following today's assault on the rebel stronghold of Tal Afar, government forces are ready to strike insurgents in four other northwestern towns, Iraq's defence minister has said.
Saadoun Dulaimi told a news conference troops had killed 141 insurgents and captured 197, many of them Arabs from countries other than Iraq, in the past two days at Tal Afar and said the operation might last no longer than three more days.
"There will be no refuge for the terrorists, criminals and bloodsuckers," he said as Jordan's Prime Minister headed for Baghdad in the first visit by an top Arab official since the US-led invasion of Iraq.
Adnan Badran was accompanied by foreign minister Farouk Kasrawi in the previously unannounced visit to lend Arab support for the Iraqi government.
The Shi'ite-led Iraqi government has criticised the failure of fellow Arab governments to halt Islamic militants flowing into the country or staunch funding for the Sunni insurgency that followed the ousting of former president Saddam Hussein.
The towns of Qaim, close to the Syrian border, and Rawa, both lie in the Euphrates valley, which the government says is a route for foreign fighters entering Iraq from Syria.
Mr Dulaimi gave no indication of when any operations might start in these other towns.
"This military operation in Tal Afar is to clear it of terrorists," he said. "The plan was made three months ago. We have tried every peaceful solution. That was the priority. But we got no response.
"This operation will take less time than you think ... You will see in the next two days that our forces are capable and will flush the terrorists out and wipe them out."