Smoke billows from a burning building as an Iraqi forces humvee advances through a street in the town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, after the Iraqi government announced the launch of the operation to retake it from Daesh control, on August 26, 2017. (Photo by AFP)
The Daesh Takfiri terrorist group has launched several attacks across Iraq as the Kataib Hezbollah resistance group warns of a Saudi-US plan to revive the group.
The Arabic Al-Mayadeen news network reported on Sunday that Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units 21st Brigade thwarted a Daesh assault on the al-Eith region of the eastern Salahuddin Province.
The PMUs 47th Brigade also repelled a Daesh operation in the Jurf al-Sakhar region in the central Babil province, resulting in one PMU casualty.
Another attack in the eastern Diyala province, however, lead to five casualties among the countrys pro-government tribal units, according to a security official.
Earlier on Sunday, a Daesh operation seeking to infiltrate the central Karbala province from the western Anbar province was forced to retreat with casualties following the intervention of Iraqi security services.
Iraqi forces also launched numerous raids on Daesh terror cells on Sunday.
Four terrorists were killed after PMU artillery units targeted Daesh elements east of the city of Tikrit in Salahuddin.
Another four terrorists were captured in the northern Kirkuk province.
Separate Iraqi security operations also led to the arrests of two prominent Daesh figures in the northern Nineveh province, known as "Abu Talha al-Ansari" and "Humam al-Ali".
The spike in terror and anti-terror operations comes after at least 10 PMU fighters were killed in a coordinated attack in the cities of Mekeeshfa and Balad in the Salahuddin Province in a Daesh raid on Saturday.
The engagements mark the latest of an increasing string of Daesh sleeper cell attacks in the past few weeks, usually concentrated between the provinces of Salahuddin, Kirkuk and Diyala.
The uptick in Daesh operations has happened nearly simultaneously with Washingtons latest string of airstrikes openly targeting PMU forces, which are formally part of the Iraqi security forces.
Washington most notably assassinated the PMUs deputy commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, alongside Irans top anti-terror Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, in the capital city Baghdad in January.
Iraqi resistance groups have responded by vowing to take up arms against US military presence if Washington fails to comply with a parliamentary order calling for the expulsion of US troops following the assassination.
The increased Daesh attacks across the country also come as the governments ability to respond has been affected by political uncertainty and preoccupation with controlling the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
Daesh overrun large swathes of the country after unleashing a deadly campaign in 2014.
The formation of voluntary forces later known as the PMU, however, allowed Iraq to gradually bring the Daesh advance to a standstill, ultimately leading to the group losing all control over Iraqi territory in 2017.
‘Daesh attacks incited by Saudi-US plot
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Irans IRNA news agency, Mohammed Muhyee, spokesman for the Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah resistance group affiliated with the PMU, said that the recent Daesh operations stemmed from US and Saudi provocations.
Muhyees remarks echoed statements published by numerous other Iraqi resistance groups in the last few days.
Muhyee added that Riyadh and Washington were using the group to impose their will on the country, with the US specifically seeking to justify prolonging its military presence.
"We can not expect Daeshs recent operations to have occurred naturally; international and regional intelligence organizations are supporting it with logistics, intelligence and weapons," he said.
Muhyee added that the US and Saudi plot sought to force the PMU to leave Iraqs western, northern and eastern regions.
Referring to Daeshs attack on Mekeeshfa and Balad on Saturday, Muhyee said that Daesh control over the two areas could bring the country to the edge of a new security crisis similar to the one which lead to Daeshs initial expansion in 2014.
The spokesman added that Daeshs simultaneous operations across several provinces may be intended to provide cover for a future and larger operation.
SOURCE: PRESS TV
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/16880
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