Following a foiled attempt by the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) to attack Ramadi on October 29th , authorities in the Anbar capital have implemented a series of measures that aim to deter such attacks in the future.

The foiled opeation in Ramadi is part of a pattern of ISIL attacks as Iraqi forces bear down on Mosul , as the group is staging attacks in other parts of Iraq in an attempt to relieve pressure on its fighters in Ninawa province.

ISIL sent more than 100 fighters into Kirkuk city on October 21st and two days later pushed others to attack al-Rutba in Anbar province , but Iraqi forces were able to foil the attacks and eliminate the perpetrators completely.

Ramadi authorities have implemented a tight security deployment plan around the city as a pre-emptive measure to deal with any attempt to disturb security, Anbar police's emergency regiment commander Brig. Gen. Khalid Jaijer told Diyaruna.

"The deployment also targeted areas with soft security such as the areas of Malaab and Sofiyah, and areas on the western borders of the city leading to Ramadi desert," he said.

Security barriers and checkpoints were set up at the main entrances to the city to inspect all travelers' information and check them against an "electronic database containing a large bank of security information", Jaijer said.

"There are enough troops deployed in Ramadi to maintain security and prevent any possible breach while the battle to liberate Mosul is ongoing," he said.

Security co-operation

There are no sleeper cells in Ramadi, said Falah Qaraghouli, tribal mobilisation forces commander in western Anbar.

"Intelligence services are closely monitoring all suspicious movements and arrest anyone who tries to sow chaos or unrest in the city," he told Diyaruna.

Tribal mobilisation forces, by virtue of their knowledge of the city residents, "are the best aid for security forces in pursuing ISIL elements and supporters", he said, noting that most extremist fighters fled to the towns of Anah, Rawa and al-Qaim after the liberation of Ramadi.

"Mobilisation forces are currently deployed along the defense lines on the western border of Ramadi from al-Tash to al-Humaira," Qaraghouli said, adding that "they are on standby to deal with any terrorist attack".

The failure of ISIL in creating security breaches in Ramadi is not only due to tighter security measures in the city, provincial council security committee member Rajea Barakat told Diyaruna.

Rather, it is also largely due to citizens' co-operation with the police, he said.

"Anbar citizens have become aware of the size of the security threat against them and started providing information about anything suspicious to the security authorities," he told Diyaruna.

Brakat attributed the security breach in al-Rutba to its location "as it is surrounded by the desert from all sides, and the desert is the last foothold of ISIL in Anbar".

"ISIL is gasping for breath and no longer has the ability to carry out new attacks or reassert its control over [lost] areas," he said.