Iraqi forces kill 4 terrorists, destroy booby-trapped vehicles in Hamrin mountains
Paramilitary fighters and military vehicles are seen during a military operation to retake positions held by Islamic State militants, on the outskirts of Muqdadiyah in Diyala province, north of Baghdad January 25, 2015. Picture taken January 25, 2015. REUTERS
Salahuddin (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi troops killed on Wednesday four terrorists and destroyed two booby-trapped vehicles in the Hamrin Mountains in northeast Iraq.
“Joint troops, backed by the Iraqi Air Force, carried out a security campaign in the Hamrin Mountains, which extend through the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk and Salahuddin, managing to kill four terrorists,” Alforat News quoted federal police chief Raed Shaker Jawdat as saying.
He added that the troops “also destroyed two booby-trapped vehicles and four terrorist hotbeds in the security campaign.”
Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
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.