Iraq thwarts rocket attacks against vital facilities

By Ali Jawad

BAGHDAD (AA) – The Iraqi military has thwarted rocket attacks targeting vital facilities in northern areas of the capital Baghdad.

The Iraqi army’s Baghdad Operations Command said on Wednesday that its forces "arrested three suspects after monitoring their movements on the Karkh and Rusafa areas in Baghdad."

"According to information about the enemy's intention to target vital installations in the Tarmiyah district, north of Baghdad, two Katyusha rockets and detonators were seized," the command said.

It pointed out that "the weapons and detainees were handed over to the concerned authorities."

Daesh/ISIS has been active in the provinces of Salahuddin, Anbar, Kirkuk and Diyala, at a time when the federal government is struggling to contain the attacks of the terrorist group by launching security and military operations in the northern, western and eastern regions of the country.

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.