At least 27 Iraqi soldiers were killed on Thursday in two suicide attacks northwest of the city of Ramadi. The attacks occurred after security forces stepped up their efforts to reclaim the city from the Islamic State militant group, the Iraqi military told Al Jazeera. The report added that Iraqi forces had successfully recaptured more than half of the city, including a key military command centre.

The attacks came after United States defense secretary Ashton Carter urged its allies to maximise their efforts in battling IS, in order to prevent another terror attack like the one in Paris last month.

Ramadi was captured by IS in May this year and was one of the militant group's biggest strongholds. Backed by US-led airstrikes, Iraqi troops had launched an offensive in November to retake the city located around 120 kilometers from Baghdad.