Iraqi troops destroy underground tunnel of Islamic State in Diyala
Paramilitary fighters and military vehicles are seen during a military operation to retake positions held by Islamic State militants, on the outskirts of Muqdadiyah in Diyala province, north of Baghdad January 25, 2015. Picture taken January 25, 2015. REUTERS
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Paramilitary troops of al-Hashd al-Shaabi destroyed on Wednesday an underground tunnel of Islamic State in Hamrin Mountains in the northeastern province of Diyala, a security source was quoted as saying.
Speaking to Al-Ahd News website, the source said that a special force of al-Hashd al-Shaabi destroyed an underground tunnel that was used by Islamic State militants to carry out terrorist attacks.
He added that the force continues to comb the areas near the tunnel in search of any Islamic State remnants.
Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in November 2017 with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq.
IS declared a self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014. A government campaign, backed by a U.S.-led international coalition and paramilitary forces, was launched in 2016 to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital.