Paramilitary troops foil IS attack, kill militants near borders
Members of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces). File photo.
A statement by the media service of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) said on Monday that “the first brigade troops repulsed a wide-scale attack by IS militants on the Iraqi-Syrian borders in al-Muthalath region, which links the borders to Hamdaniya.”
“Militants who were on board of a vehicle were killed,” it added.
The Shia-led PMFs were formed in 2014 as per an edict by Iraq’s top Shia clergy to combat the militant group.
IS has increasingly targeted security forces and civilians across Iraq over the past months coinciding with operations by the U.S.-backed Iraqi government forces which sought to retake areas occupied by the group since 2014.
Launched last week, an operation managed to take over al-Zab river region, the northern part of Makhoul mountains and several villages west of Tigris River. Joint Operations Command announced on Sunday completing the first phase of operations to recapture Hawija, the group’s holdout in southwestern Kirkuk.
The government hopes to eradicate a self-styled “Islamic Caliphate” IS declared from Mosul after it had taken over large areas of the country and of neighboring Syria.