By Ibrahim Saleh
BAGHDAD (AA) – Iraq on Saturday launched a large-scale military operation against the Daesh/ISIS terror group in five provinces, according to the defense ministry.
A ministry statement said the offensive targets Daesh/ISIS remnants in the provinces of Anbar, Nineveh, Salah al-Din, Diyala and Kirkuk.
Forces from the army, border guards and the pro-government Hashd al-Shaabi militia are taking part in the operation.
The first phase of the anti-Daesh/ISIS operation took place last month, in which 19 Daesh/ISIS hideouts and six tunnels were destroyed. A large cache of explosive materials was also seized, according to Iraqi authorities.
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 Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara