Curfew imposed to look for Islamic State attackers of village, south of Mosul
Security forces close roads.
“Troops imposed curfew in al-Eraij village in search for IS members, who launched an armed attack against the village on Saturday night,” the source told Shafaq News.
“The attack took place after four militants, who were hiding in residential houses in south of Mosul, were arrested,” the source added.
Earlier on the day, five IS members were killed as the pro-government al-Hashd al-Shaabi [Popular Mobilization Forces] foiled an attack by the militants through Tal Sufuk crossing on the Iraqi-Syrian borders.
Shafaq News quoted a source on Wednesday as saying that unidentified gunmen killed two persons and a child as they opened fire against them in al-Eraij village, Hammam al-Alil region, south of Mosul.
Despite declaring the victory over IS in Mosul, the group’s former bastion in Iraq, observers say IS is believed to constitute a security threat even after the group’s defeat at its main havens across Iraqi provinces.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared, in July, victory over IS militants who had held the second largest Iraqi city since 2014. More than 25000 militants were killed throughout the campaign.
A government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition has been fighting, since October 2016, the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.
The war against IS has so far displaced at least five million people. Thousands of others fled toward neighboring countries including Syria, Turkey and other European countries, since IS emerged to proclaim its self-styled “caliphate”.