Iraqi army launches ISIS manhunt operation in western desert

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi security forces on Wednesday launched a sweeping operation in Anbar province to hunt down the remnants of ISIS, the country’s joint operations command said.

The operation was launched at dawn on Wednesday with the participation of the Iraqi army, elite counter-terrorism forces, and rapid response brigades, according to the command.

The Iraqi Air Force and US-led coalition against ISIS are assisting ground troops in chasing any remnants of the group that have exploited the remote areas of the country.

Despite the declaration of ISIS’s “territorial defeat” in December 2017, militants still pose a threat to both civilians and security forces with hit-and-run attacks and suicide bombings. 

The latest bloody explosion which was claimed by the group took place in a crowded market in Baghdad on July 19, killing and wounding more than 30.