IS sleeper cells, weapons cache uncovered in Iraq’s Diyala: Security officials

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Islamic State (IS) militants have stepped up insurgent activities in the Iraqi province of Diyala, local police and Iraqi military intelligence said on Friday.

An unknown number of IS sleeper cells have made multiple hideouts in the areas of southern Buhrz and Kan’an, Diyala Police Director Ghalib Atiya told Iraq's al-Baghdadiya television channel on Friday.

The geography of the two areas and their surroundings make them challenging to reach and control, the police official explained.

He vowed that both police and intelligence forces in the province would fight and eliminate militants there, and claimed to have received detailed information regarding sleeper cells in the region.

The Directorate of Military Intelligence also announced on Friday the seizure of a weapons cache in Diyala.

"With a meticulous intelligence effort, officers of the 5th Brigade managed to raid one of the hideouts for weapons and banditry in the village of Al-Awad in Diyala's Al-Azim district," said a statement released to the press.

It continued, "We have seized 15 boxes of weapons, which also contained 755 bullets and 10 kg of C-4 explosive material, five RPG-7 rocket launchers, and an 81-mm mortar."

Activities of the jihadist group are becoming more and more common in recent months, with a variety of tactics that include using fake security checkpoints to kidnap residents and Iraqi security force members.

Kurdish Peshmerga forces, who were pushed from disputed territories like Diyala and Kirkuk in October following the Kurdistan Region's independence referendum, have warned of the re-emergence of the IS.

The security situation in areas Peshmerga controlled until then has since deteriorated considerably.

After three years of fierce fighting, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in December last year declared a complete victory over the jihadist group.

Editing by John J. Catherine