PM Kadhimi arrives to disputed Kirkuk as ISF launches operations amid increasing ISIS attacks

On Tuesday, the Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi landed in Kirkuk’s airbase earlier in the morning to supervise the newly launched operations by the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in the southwestern part of the province to combat the recent mounting attacks of the so-called Islamic State.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi landed in Kirkuk’s airbase early Tuesday to supervise a fresh operation by the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in the southwestern part of the province to combat the so-called Islamic State’s recent attacks.

The ISF launched a military operation on Tuesday against remnants of the self-proclaimed Islamic State in southwestern Kirkuk to curb the terror group’s mounting attacks that have fueled instability in the area. The attacks are mostly arson, bombings, and hit-and-runs.

Read More: Bombing kills Iraqi soldiers near disputed town, as anti-terror operations continue

“Under the directive of the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief [Mustafa al-Kadhimi] and supervision of the Joint Operations Command, the second stage of Operation of Iraq’s Heroes launched,” Yehia Rasool, spokesperson for the Iraqi Commander-in-Chief, tweeted.

The operation aims to “inspect” the southwestern borders between Kirkuk and Salahuddin, he added.

On Sunday, a Coalition airstrike killed seven Islamic State fighters in the Wadi al-Shai – which Iraqi officials sometimes call the Valley of Death – southeast of the disputed Kirkuk province, Iraqi security sources told Kurdistan 24.

Shai Valley is a patch of territory characterized by rough terrain. Despite repeated operations conducted by Iraqi forces to hunt and capture Islamic State fighters, the area remains a hotspot for the terrorist organization.

“In this difficult situation and the challenges that Iraq is going through, our heroes in the armed forces fight the enemy and dry up the sources of terrorism,” Prime Minister Kadhimi said, as he convened with military leaders at Joint Operations Command headquarters in Kirkuk during his visit, according to his Media Office on Twitter.  

While Islamic State operations continue since the group’s territorial collapse in late 2017, officials from the Kurdistan Region, along with civilians in the disputed territories, have repeatedly called for the creation of a long-term joint security plan between Erbil and Baghdad to fill the deadly security gaps.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany