Curfew west of Anbar after Islamic State mobilizes for attacks

Anbar (IraqiNews.com) A full-scale curfew has been imposed at an area west of Anbar after Islamic State militants reportedly called for attacks there, a security source was quoted saying on Friday.

“Security forces have imposed a full-scale curfew at al-Baghdadi region in anticipation for terrorist attacks that could target civilians and security forces,” Aljournal News quoted the source saying. He added that troops reinforced their deployments at the area’s entrances and exits to preempt potential security breaches.

On Thursday, Qatari al-Obaidi, a senior leader at the Popular Mobilization Force, told Almaalomah website that Islamic State militants in Karabla region, east of Qaim, urged through megaphones prepare for attacks on Baghdadi, Hit, Haditha, Ramadi and Fallujah.

He also said that the group had relocated its Mosul and Syrian Raqqa commands to Qaim, west of Anbar.

Islamic State has held the towns of Annah, Rawa and Qaim since 2014, when they occupied a third of Iraq to proclaim an “Islamic Caliphate”. So far, there has not been a wide-scale campaign to retake those regions, but occasional offensives managed to take over several surrounding villages.

The Iraqi government declared victory over IS in Mosul, the group’s former capital in Iraq, last month, and said it was going to proceed towards other group holdouts.

Also late July, Iraqi warplanes reportedly dropped millions of messages telling locals that liberation offensives for the province were nearing.