Iraqi troops kill two Islamic State militants in Diyala
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Diyala (Iraqinews.com) Two Islamic State militants were killed in separate security campaigns east of Diyala, a military commander said.
“Joint Iraqi troops carried out separate security campaigns, targeting Islamic State militants in eastern Diyala, killing two of them,” Commander of Tigris Operations Maj. Gen. Mazhar al-Azzawi told Alsumaria News on Tuesday.
He added that the clampdowns were launched upon accurate intelligence information.
On Tuesday, Mazhar announced that Iraqi troops killed four Islamic State militants during security campaigns in Diyala.
The security campaigns were launched after receiving accurate intelligence information on the location of the IS terrorists, he added.
IS declared a self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014 before Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declares final victory over Islamic State last week. Abadi’s announcement came two days after Russia announced a similar victory over Islamic State militants in neighboring Syria.
A government campaign, backed by the US-led international coalition, was launched in 2016 to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital.
The surge in violence between Islamic State and government forces has resulted in over 3 million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.