Iraqi troops kill Islamic State’s mastermind in Salahuddin: Sources
Security forces defend their headquarters against attacks by Islamic State during sand storm in Ramadi. (AP Photo)
Speaking to Shafaq News, the sources said that security forces carried out an operation, killing Islamic State’s mastermind of explosions, abduction and fake checkpoints in Shirqat town, Abu Salam al-Iraqi, who was hiding in a tunnel, along with five of his companions.
The sources considered killing abu Salam as breaking the backbone of the dormant cells of the militant group in Salahuddin.
Last week, the local Shammar tribe announced killing three Islamic State members, who attempted infiltrating into villages north of the province.
Thousands of Islamic State militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.
In December, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced gaining control on all the territories that were captured by Islamic State, since 2014. However, the group still has dormant cells, through which it carries out attacks, across Iraq like it used to do before 2014.