Iraqi Shiite militias foil Islamic State plot to infiltrate into Salahuddin
An Iraqi solider waves the “V” victory sign following a great triumph over the Islamic State group
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Shiite militias thwarted on Sunday a plot by Islamic State militants to sneak into Samarra city in Salahuddin province, where they planned to carry out terrorist attacks.
In a statement carried by Alsumaria News TV channel, the Samarra Operations Command of the Shiite Saraya al-Salam said that “it received intelligence information on a plot by IS terrorists to infiltrate into al-Madarat city in Samarra on board six boats.”
The militiamen, according to the statement, opened fire at the IS terrorists and forced them to retreat.
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.
In December 2017, former Iraqi prime minister Haidar al-Abadi announced full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring the end of war against IS members.