Interior Ministry says biggest terrorist scheme foiled before targeting Baghdad
Security forces search a car following a shooting attack in Baghdad
In remarks on Monday, Abu Ali al-Basri, general director of the ministry’s counter-terrorism department, said over the past three months, the ministry “was in secret war against Islamic State, which led to foiling the biggest terrorist scheme that was targeting Baghdad and other provinces during the parliamentary elections.”
Operations were launched against IS members, who were tasked with carrying out the blasts, leaving many prominent members arrested, according to Basri.
The troops “took part in shelling the terrorist gatherings through missiles in Syria’s Hegeen and al-Bu Kamal, along with air force as well as the quadruple alliance including each of Iraq, Russia, Iran and Syria,” he said.
Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.
Thousands of Islamic State militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.