Heavy rain in Iraq halted operations to retake the city of Ramadi from the ISIL group for the second time in a week, a senior officer said on Thursday.

Heavy rain in Iraq halted operations to retake the city of Ramadi from the ISIL group for the second time in a week, a senior officer said on Thursday.

ISIL seized Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, in May, and security forces have fought their way to the outskirts of the city, where they have been battling the group's terrorists in recent days.

"Operations to liberate Ramadi were stopped because of weather conditions and heavy rains," said Staff Major General Ismail Mahalawi, the commanding officer for Anbar operations.

Troops are facing "difficulty in moving and advancing towards the centre of Ramadi," and are now focusing on improving defensive positions, Mahalawi said.

Last Friday, he announced a halt to operations for similar reasons.

ISIL terrorist group launched an attack in June 2014 that overran a number of  provinces the country.

Iraqi forces were eventually able to check the advance and regain significant ground north of the capital.