Iraqi troops apprehend four Islamic State jihadists in Anbar
Islamic State militants
Anbar (IraqiNews.com) – Four members of the Islamic State terrorist group were apprehended Saturday in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, a security source was quoted as saying.
“Security forces arrested four Islamic State terrorists during crackdowns in al-Husainiat and Mueishar areas in Haditha district, west of Anbar,” the source told Almaalomah news website.
The troops also destroyed three Islamic State terrorist hotbeds and two armored vehicles, in addition to seizing a large cache of ammunition, added the source.
The operation was launched with the aim of eliminating the remaining IS terrorists in Anbar, he noted.
Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in Iraq 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.
The Islamic State group appeared on the international scene in 2014 when it seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring the establishment of an Islamic “caliphate” from Mosul city.
Later on, the group has become notorious for its brutality, including mass killings, abductions and beheadings, prompting the U.S. to lead an international coalition to destroy it.
Despite the group’s crushing defeat at its main havens across Iraq, Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks against troops with security reports warning that the militant group still poses a threat against stability in the country.