Iraq News
Terrorism

Tip from Diyala mother foils son's ISIL-inspired attack

By Khalid al-Taie

A June 1st tribal conference in al-Muqdadiyah discussed the role of citizens in the fight against terrorism. [Photo courtesy of the Tigris operations command]

A June 1st tribal conference in al-Muqdadiyah discussed the role of citizens in the fight against terrorism. [Photo courtesy of the Tigris operations command]

An Iraqi mother provided information to the police regarding her two sons' activities with the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL), potentially saving dozens of lives.

The woman, a teacher in the Iraqi city of al-Muqdadiyah in Diyala province, went into a local police station in late May to report that her two sons had been recruited as suicide bombers by ISIL.

"She provided information to the security forces and reported that she was certain ISIL somehow succeeded in recruiting her two sons in its ranks and that they were about to carry out two suicide operations against innocent civilians in Diyala," al-Muqdadiyah mayor Zaid Ibrahim Haddad told Mawtani, without revealing the woman's identity for security reasons.

She handed over photos of her sons, he said, one of whom was a third year medical student and the other a high school student.

The two fled home immediately after learning about their mother's intention to report them to the police, Haddad said. Soon after, the younger son attempted to detonate an explosives belt inside a popular café in al-Muqdadiyah.

Haddad said security forces identified the attacker based on the photos and information provided by the mother, and were able to prevent him from entering the busy café. The young man blew himself up after he was surrounded.

Security authorities are still investigating the whereabouts and activities of the older son.

Mother's courage praised

"For a mother to take the initiative of reporting her two sons belonging to ISIL, this is a unique and unprecedented situation," Haddad said. "A mother's love did not stop this lady from doing her humanitarian, moral and national duty."

As soon as she realised that her sons might commit massacres against innocent people, she decided to report them, registering a "heroic and honorable" stance, he said.

The people of the city now "co-operate more closely with the security forces by directly communicating any suspicious situations or threats affecting public security," he said, adding that this co-operation has led to the arrest of many individuals involved in terrorist and criminal offenses.

He called on security forces to make a greater effort towards increasing sources of intelligence and to rapidly and effectively deal with all reports filed by citizens to improve the security situation in the city and ward off any terror attack.

ISIL seeks any available method to recruit the children of vulnerable families in Diyala, provincial council security committee chairman Sadiq al-Husseini told Mawtani.

"The group is trying to constantly reach teenagers and naive people by brainwashing them and pushing them to carry out suicide attacks," he said.

Preventing ISIL from finding new incubators

This is particularly the case since ISIL is currently suffering from a shortage of suicide bombers and is experiencing great difficulties in getting its members inside the province because of tight security measures, he said.

"What is gratifying is that there are families that proved their patriotism and love for their county after the discovery of the truth by immediately reporting their children who ISIL managed to recruit," al-Husseini said.

"Reports by citizens also helped security forces discover important terrorists hideouts and strongholds," he added.

Last month, Diyala police, based on information from citizens, seized a large ISIL warehouse in al-Bardia village south of Baquba that contained two suicide vests, 109 explosive devices (IEDs) and 28 highly explosive TNT tubes.

Diyala provincial council member Muslim Khader told Mawtani that the mother's reporting on her two sons in al-Muqdadiyah and many similar reports reflect the popular rejection of the ideology and practices of ISIL elements.

"We must support and tighten the relationship between the citizen and the security institutions to prevent ISIL from finding new incubators," he said.

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