Iraq News
Security

Tigris river islands cleared of ISIS remnants

By Khalid al-Taie

Iraqi soldiers carry a boat in preparation for a security operation in search of 'Islamic State of Iraq and Syria' remnants hiding in Tigris River islands south of Mosul in this photo, posted online on January 3rd. [Photo courtesy of the Iraqi Defence Ministry]

Iraqi soldiers carry a boat in preparation for a security operation in search of 'Islamic State of Iraq and Syria' remnants hiding in Tigris River islands south of Mosul in this photo, posted online on January 3rd. [Photo courtesy of the Iraqi Defence Ministry]

Joint Iraqi forces have been tracking down "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) remnants in the Mosul area, and have cleared them from river islands south of the city, the Ninawa Operations Command said Tuesday (February 6th).

Security forces in recent weeks have conducted several campaigns to track down ISIS fighters hiding on dozens of small islands with heavy vegetation on the Tigris River.

"We recently have had many military operations to search for ISIS remnants on islands on the Tigris River and its tributaries," Ninawa Operations Commander Maj. Gen. Nejim Eddin Karim al-Jubury told Diyaruna.

"We were joined in these operations by forces from the federal and local police and the Iraqi army's 16th division and local fighters, with the support of international coalition warplanes," he said.

These operations were conducted in response to a "torrent" of intelligence information from local residents indicating ISIS elements were hiding there, he added.

Tracking and search operations

Joint forces have been able to clear all the islands in the Tigris in the stretch between southern Mosul and Ninawa province’s border with Salaheddine in the district of al-Shirqat, al-Jubury said.

"We were able to kill many of the hiding militants, including senior commanders in the organisation," he said.

Two operations were carried out in late January on islands near the village of Albu Saif, which is close to Mosul's airport, he said.

These resulted in "the killing of 17 terrorists and another terrorist leader in ISIS called Ibrahim Yassin, who was hit by a [coalition] airstrike", he said.

Tracking and search operations continue on the islands of the Tigris and in agricultural villages along its banks, al-Jubury said, noting that "security campaigns will continue in all areas under our responsibility".

"We are on the lookout for remaining terrorists, and will not allow them any opportunity to hide anywhere in our province," he said.

These operations are being conducted by "all security and military formations and [in co-operation with] the local people", he added.

Do you like this article?

1 Comment(s)
Comment Policy * Denotes Required Field 1500 / 1500

Urgent

Reply