Iraqi forces find information ISIS preparing attack on UK soil

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Mirror
29 Jun 2023 17:34
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Following a raid on an ISIS cell, the head of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service reveals that information acquired indicated a large-scale terror attack is being prepared in the UK.

A car bomb explodes next to Iraqi special forces armored vehicles as they advance toward Islamic State-held territory in Mosul, Iraq, Nov. 16, 2016. (AP)

Head of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service General Abdul-Wahab Al-Saadi revealed that his forces, during a recent raid, found information that could be considered to be evidence that ISIS has planned a major terrorist attack on UK soil.

Al-Saadi, according to The Mirror, said, "We discovered that the UK is the next target outside Iraq ... I can tell you that from the information we found at the site of one of our recent raids the next intended terror attack will be in the United Kingdom."

According to reports, Al-Saadi also said the UK government was already briefed on the threat, adding that Western intelligence services are presently attempting to thwart the planned attack, which is set to be conducted by terrorist groups made up of UK nationals.

The Iraqi General further underscored, "We know ISIS has been talking to UK-based terrorists and we know what they are planning. It is a big attack."

Iraqi Air Force eliminates ISIS militants in Hamrin mountains

The Iraqi Air Force successfully eliminated, on June 3, three terrorists affiliated with the ISIS organization in an airstrike in the Hamrin Mountains.

Iraqi military intelligence sources told Al Mayadeen that three terrorists were killed in an airstrike in the Hamrin operations sector.

The Iraqi F-16 aircraft carried out the airstrike, targeting ISIS militants in Lake Hamrin, east of the country.

The region, which borders Iran and extends across the provinces of Diyala, Salah Al-Din, and Kirkuk, has been a safe haven for ISIS members who exploit its rugged geography and the difficulty of Iraqi ground forces' ability to operate in the area.

The combination of elements has made airstrikes the only viable option for Iraqi forces to target ISIS militants in the area.

On June 2, the Iraqi military intelligence announced that the Iraqi Air Force targeted ISIS terrorists in the same region, as part of phase five of Operation "Swords of Righteousness."

On May 26, the Iraqi National Intelligence Agency announced the arrest of one of the most dangerous ISIS terrorists in "Wilayat Al-Janoub" (Southern Province as dubbed by the terrorist organization) after a months-long intelligence operation.

The intelligence agency stated that the detainee joined ISIS in 2014 as a fighter within the "Osama bin Laden Brigade" and participated in several terrorist attacks against security forces in areas such as Jurf Al-Nasr, Fallujah, and Mosul.

Furthermore, on May 7, the Iraqi Air Force successfully killed a terrorist group affiliated with ISIS in Diyala province via an airstrike.

The operation targeted against ISIS militants is led by the Iraqi Army in collaboration with Peshmerga forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces.