Iraqi troops destroy three Islamic State tunnels in Salahuddin
One of the tunnels that was used by the Islamic State in Mosul.
Salahuddin (IraqiNews.com) – Three tunnels used by Islamic State militants as hideouts and storage facilities were destroyed Monday in the Iraqi province of Salahuddin, an Iraqi commander said.
Mawazin News quoted Major General Maan al-Saadi of the elite Counter-Terrorism Service as saying that a security force, using intelligence reports, destroyed three IS tunnels near Dibis district in Salahuddin.
“The troops found a huge amount of explosives, weapons and foodstuffs stored by Islamic State terrorists inside the tunnels,” he added.
Last December, former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared final victory over the terrorist Islamic State group three years after the militant group captured about a third of Iraq’s territory.
Addressing an international media conference held at the journalists syndicate in Baghdad on Saturday, December 9, Abadi said, “Our troops gained full control on the Iraqi-Syrian borders. We announce the end of war against Islamic State.”
Abadi’s announcement came two days after Russia announced a similar victory over Islamic State militants in neighboring Syria. Abadi declared Dec. 10 an annual national holiday on this occasion.
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.