Iraq hunts down Daesh/ISIS terrorists in Nineveh

By Ibrahim Saleh

BAGHDAD (AA) – Iraq on Sunday launched a major security operation to hunt down Daesh/ISIS terrorists near the Turkmen-populated areas in the northern Nineveh province.

Forces from the military and the pro-government Hashd al-Shaabi militia are clearing the Mahalabiya mountains, east of Tal Afar city, from Daesh/ISIS terrorists, the pro-government militia said in a statement.

According to the statement, an area of 20 kilometers have been searched and a number of Daesh/ISIS hideouts destroyed.

Daesh/ISIS terrorists have in recent months escalated their attacks, especially in the area between Kirkuk, Salahuddin, and Diyala, known as the Triangle of Death.

In 2017, Iraq declared victory over Daesh/ISIS by reclaiming all territories the terrorist group controlled since the summer of 2014, which was estimated to be about a third of the country’s territory.

The group, however, still maintains sleeper cells in large areas in Iraq and occasionally launches sporadic attacks.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara