IS seeks to set foot in Iraq again via “foes partnering” with PMF factions – report
A sign that reads “Here is a cemetery of the Islamic State group” sticks out from a pile of rubble in the old city of Mosul on Jan. 9. (Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images)
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – A U.S. magazine has warned that Islamic State militants may set foot in Iraqi territories again through going into a strange partnership with the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces.
In a report published on its website, the Foreign Policy expected the “foes partnering” between the Sunni and Shiite militias to be real benefits for both sides although it seems strange.
According to the magazine, the alliance will help the Iranian-backed PMF factions “to expand their footprint into Sunni areas” in Iraq while Islamic State fighters will be able to re-enter Iraqi territories.
The report stressed that this strange alliance, if formed, will surely worsen the situation in Iraq.
The PMF played a significant role in the three-year war against Islamic State militants that started in 2014. However, the Iraqi government’s international partners, including the United States, were suspicious of including them m in their own war-fighting efforts.
The PMF was formed upon a top Shia clergy edict to counter the Sunni Jihadist group.
PMF won official recognition as a national force late 2016, becoming under the command of the prime minister, who is also the supreme commander of the armed forces.