Provincial Council Member: IS moving between Iraq-Syria border in Nineveh

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Despite Iraq having declared victory against the Islamic State (IS), the extremist group continues to pose a threat to areas they had previously controlled as Iraqi forces conduct military operations to counter the threats.

Khalaf al-Hadidi, a member of Nineveh Provincial Council, warned on Tuesday of the return of IS extremists on the Iraq-Syria border, calling for immediate action from the government to prevent further infiltration.

“There are movements by [IS extremists] on the Syrian-Iraqi border, particularly in the Baaj and al-Jazeera areas where they can move freely,” the local official from Nineveh said, warning of the extremists’ return and possible launching of attacks.

Citing eyewitnesses from the border areas, Hadidi revealed that about 100 to 200 vehicles are moving between the Iraq and Syria border areas, calling on Iraqi security forces to take immediate measures against the group.

Hadidi also emphasized the importance of increased coordination between military forces from other provinces to strengthen security on the border and prevent IS from returning.

Despite the presence of Hashd al-Shaabi fighters on the border, one military force is not enough to secure the area from Rabia district to Karbala Province; therefore, help from local fighters in the provinces is required, he added.

On Tuesday, Iraqi forces and the Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi conducted a military operation as a precautionary measure to clear areas in Tal Afar, located in western Nineveh.

Despite its defeat late last year, IS continues to launch bombings, ambushes, kidnappings, suicide attacks, and execution-style killings in multiple provinces in Iraq and its disputed territories.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany