Iraqi forces launch new military campaign against ISIS strongholds

Despite announcing the defeat of ISIS in Iraq in 2017, Iraq is still fighting the militant group in pockets of the country.

Despite announcing the defeat of ISIS in Iraq in 2017, Iraq is still fighting the militant group in pockets of the country.

Iraqi forces, supported by U.S. air forces, launched an intensive military campaign on Sunday aimed at eliminating ISIS Islamist militants in three Iraqi provinces.

Iraqi military sources told news sources that the new operation is taking place in what is known as the “desert triangle,” which is made up of three northwestern Iraqi border provinces: Anbar, Nineveh and Salahualdin – all near the Syria border.

The commander of the joint operation, Major General Abdul-Amir Yarallah, was quoted as saying that the Iraqi forces are being joined by the Hashd-Asha’bi (Popular Mobilization Forces), along with their Sunni counterparts and aircraft provided by the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq.

The Popular Mobilization Forces are an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization composed of over 40 militias, mostly Shia Muslim, but it includes other groups as well.

Amir-Yarallah said that the current army action is a major operation that is aimed at removing the Dae’sh, or ISIS, operatives from Iraqi territories.