Iraq launches large-scale op. against ISIS in Hatra, al-Baaj deserts
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Iraqi forces launch a major anti-ISIS operation in the Hatra and Al-Baaj deserts of Nineveh, targeting terrorist remnants and sleeper cells to enhance security in the country’s northwest.
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The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) display weapons seized from ISIS in Salahuddin province, north of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Jan 12, 2023. (AP)
A joint force from the Popular Mobilization Forces’ (PMF) Nineveh Operations Command, in cooperation with units from the Iraqi Army, has launched a wide-scale security operation deep into the deserts of Hatra and Al-Baaj, west of Mosul in northwestern Iraq.
The operation involved the PMF’s operations and intelligence divisions, brigades 33, 60, and 74, as well as the border control command and the special missions regiment. Iraq’s 20th Army Division also participated, with support from military engineering and explosives units, intelligence and information divisions, medical teams, communications, and media departments.
The primary objective of the campaign is to cut off sources of terrorism and pursue the remnants of ISIS, dismantling their hideouts and sleeper cells in an effort to strengthen security and stability throughout Nineveh Governorate.
This latest move is part of ongoing efforts by Iraqi joint forces to secure the country’s western and northern regions, which continue to witness intermittent movements by Daesh elements, particularly in remote desert areas that the group exploits for cover and launching surprise attacks.
It is worth noting that the Hatra and Al-Baaj deserts are considered among the most strategically significant areas once used by ISIS during its territorial expansion. The group relied on these remote and rugged landscapes for logistical bases and weapons storage due to their difficult terrain and vastness.
Iraq dismantles funding network linked to ISIS
On July 24, Iraq's National Security Service (INSS) revealed that security forces disrupted a logistical network aiding remaining ISIS militants in four provinces.
The investigation was initiated after INSS directorates in Kirkuk and al-Anbar uncovered a secretive financing cell operating in Fallujah, which was led by a woman who was subsequently arrested for distributing funds and stipends to individuals linked to the defunct group within the al-Jadaa and al-Hol camps.
In a parallel operation, INSS teams in Diyala and Nineveh coordinated efforts that led to three days of surveillance and fieldwork culminating in the arrest of a wanted individual identified as "Abu Omar al-Qurashi" in Nineveh, a figure who had undergone previous training in security and technical disciplines and was engaged in active recruitment efforts targeting local youth.
Initial interrogations uncovered broader networks that facilitate the group's ongoing operations.
Read more: UN: ISIS remains a persistent threat in Iraq, Syria, & beyond
