Iraqi troops killed dozens of ISIS fighters in Mutaibija

ISIS extremist militants launched a brutal attack against Iraq’s Federal Police forces in Mousl’s Old City on Wednesday, as War Media Cell announced the results of its operation against the extremist elements to clear a border area between Diyala and Salahuddin provinces from Islamic State militants.

The Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said a military offensive was launched early Wednesday to clear Mutaibija region and surrounding areas. The statement said forces partaking in the onslaught included army and police troops from provinces, as well as al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) and army air forces.

Iraqi military leader Mezher al-Azzawi, head of the security committee in Salahuddin province council, said that 78 militants were killed while six vehicles belonging to the group were destroyed in the offensive.

Mutaibija has witnessed occasional attacks by Islamic State against government and paramilitary troops deployments since Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition and PMus, launched a major offensive to retake areas occupied by IS since 2014, most notably the city of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city and the group’s most important stronghold in the country.

Observers have said Islamic State’s occasional attacks against security and civilians outside Mosul aimed at distracting security attention from the Mosul front. IS still holds a few areas in Salahuddin, Diyala, Anbar and Kirkuk, but the Iraqi government, employing most of its military power in the Mosul campaign, is expected to aim at those strongholds once the battle in Mosul realizes victory.

In the same context, One security member was wounded when an Islamic State leader blew himself up near a security checkpoint in Diyala, the Interior Ministry said Thursday.

Ministry spokesperson Saad Maan said in a statement that the militant, identified as “Abu Muaz”, a so-called “general administrator of the Northern State”, blew himself up using an explosive belt once he was encircled by the troops at a checkpoint in Ghalibiya area.

Thousands of security troops and civilians have been killed and wounded in attacks by the Islamic State since the group emerged in 2014 to proclaim a self-styled “Islamic Caliphate”. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq says violence involving the extremist group left 1115 civilians dead and injured during March.

Iraqi government forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition and paramilitary troops, are currently leading a major campaign to drive IS out of Mosul, its largest stronghold in Iraq. Iraqi commanders say the group currently controls less than seven percent of Iraq.

IS still maintains smaller havens in Anbar, Kirkuk, Diyala and Salahuddin, occasionally using them as launching points for its attacks against civilians and security which observers believe are aimed to make up for defeats in Mosul and lessen security pressure there. The Iraqi government is expected to launch further offensives to clear those regions once finished with the Mosul campaign.

On its hand, Popular Mobilization forces militia announced, on Wednesday, cutting off the main road between the districts of al-Hadher and Rawa. The majority-Shiite forces said in a statement that its 11th brigade managed, today, to cut off the main road between al-Hadher and Rawa Districts completely.

The number of displaced persons that were received by al-Hashd al-Shaabi troops in al-Hadher District reached 3000 IDPs, the statement added.

Noteworthy, al-Hashd al-Shaabi forces announced launching an offensive, yesterday, to liberate al-Hadher District, and the surrounding areas, south of Mosul, while Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada militia cut off the Islamic State’s supply line between al-Baa’j and al-Hadher Districts.

Later yesterday, troops of al-Hashd al-Shaabi, backed by Army Aviation, managed to liberate 12 villages in al-Hadher district, followed by the liberation of three more villages today. Earlier today, al-Hashd al-Shaabi media directorate announced that that the security forces also managed to liberate the archaeological area in al-Hadher District, in Nineveh Province.

On the political side, former British Prime Minister David Cameron strongly rebuked the approach adopted by U.S President Donald Trump, saying that the American decision to ban the entry of Iraqis to American territories. He said that such action should not be adopted by a friend or ally to the Iraqi government. He warned of the repercussions of the decision on the current fight against terrorism witnessed in the country.