Through a series of pre-emptive operations, Iraqi forces succeeded in thwarting attacks the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) had planned to carry out during the holy month of Ramadan, military officials said.

Joint forces from the Iraqi army, Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) and Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) together prevented a major ISIS plot to carry out attacks between May 16th and May 24th, they said.

Security forces successfully dismantled four ISIS cells, with some prominent ISIS leaders among them, that had been based in Anbar, western Ninawa and south-western Baghdad.

They seized explosive belts found in the possession of one of the cells.

International coalition airstrikes, carried out in co-ordination with Iraqi forces, struck two ISIS sites in Ninawa and north Salaheddine, killing a number of ISIS elements.

The coalition also assisted the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the handover of an extremist element from Syria, whose confession led to the arrest of a number of extremists who had been hiding out in a town in northern Iraq.

During a two-week period, security forces arrested or killed 30 ISIS elements, Ministry of Defence spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasul told Diyaruna.

"Some of the operations were carried out with the assistance of residents, who provided information that contributed to saving the lives of many," he said.

Ramadan plot thwarted

By plotting attacks such as the so-called "Ramadan Conquest" offensive, ISIS is trying to claim that it is "still powerful and effective", Rasul said. "But the truth is quite the opposite."

Iraqi forces have carried out pre-emptive operations that have contributed to a decline in the number of terror attacks, he said, noting that these efforts will continue "until we ensure that the last active ISIS cell is dismantled".

To this end, he added, Iraqi forces remain engaged in "fruitful and constructive co-operation" with the international coalition.

The Ramadan plot was massive in scale and targeted Baghdad and Iraqi provinces that had been liberated from ISIS, said Iraqi MP Mohammed Ridha, who chairs the parliamentary security and defence committee.

Iraqi forces continue to pursue some cells and suspects, he told Diyaruna, and have seized explosives and killed extremist elements near Baghdad.

Thanks to intelligence efforts, the experience of Iraqi forces in handling terror threats and the co-operation of Iraqi citizens, the ISIS plot was not able to be executed as planned, he added.

Civilian co-operation key

The series of attacks Iraqi forces succeeded in thwarting were mainly in response to the death in October of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, security expert Fouad Ali told Diyaruna.

Lengthy preparations had been made for retaliatory attacks, which ISIS wanted to be "huge, impactful and commensurate with the magnitude of its defeat", he said, but these efforts failed and the group lost fighters and weapons.

Ali noted that residents of both the western Anbar town of al-Rutba and the town of al-Sharqat in northern Salaheddine provided information and assistance to Iraqi forces that helped them locate the ISIS cells.

"The civilian population is now the state's most powerful weapon in fighting ISIS," he said. "Had ISIS's plot succeeded, God forbid, dozens of Iraqis would have been slaughtered."