By Ibrahim Saleh
BAGHDAD (AA) – A Shia militia affiliated with the Iraqi military launched a large-scale operation on Sunday to hunt down Daesh/ISIS militants in eastern Iraq.
In a statement, the Hashd al-Shaabi militia said the operation targets Daesh/ISIS terrorists in the Hamrin Mountains in the eastern Diaal province.
The pro-government militia said the military operation aims to eliminate Daesh/ISIS presence in the area and end militant attacks against security forces and civilians.
Daesh/ISIS terrorists have in recent months escalated their attacks, especially in the area between Kirkuk, Salahuddin, and Diyala.
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