Security forces thwart attack by IS on Syrian border

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi Security forces have thwarted an attack by the Islamic State (IS) on the Syrian boarder, Alsumaria News reported on Wednesday citing statements by a security source.

“Security forces, backed by al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces), managed to seize a factory for making car bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) belonging to the IS in the Old City of Mosul,” the source said.

“Forces defused about 20 car bombs and dismantled around 200 explosive devices, in addition to a large amount of light and medium weapons,” the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“These weapons were prepared for a terror attack on security forces and fighters of al-Hashd al-Shaabi based on the Syrian border in order to escape to Syria,” said the source.

On Monday, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi declared victory in the city of Mosul, ending an eight-month campaign backed by a U.S.-led coalition and paramilitary forces, which has displaced more than 900.000 civilians.

The victory in Mosul also means an effective collapse of the Islamic State’s self-styled “caliphate” declared from Mosul’s Old City by the group’s supreme leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Al-Hashd al-Shaabi has been actively engaged in the government’s campaign against IS that ran since mid-October, and contributed to the campaign by regaining control over IS holdouts near the Syrian borders.