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The Beatings Will Continue: Iraqi Edition
 1 dead in ISIS artillery attack in Salahuddin Shirqat (IraqiNews.com) A working child was killed and three other people were wounded on Monday when an Islamic State-guided drone bombarded an area north of Salahuddin, a security source told Sputnik agency. The missiles landed on a vegetables market in the city of Shirqat on Monday morning. One day earlier, Two parents and their three children also died when missiles fired by the extremist group landed on their house in the sma city. Though Shirqat was fully recaptured by Iraqi security forces last year, it has sustained occasional attacks on civilians and security troops. It is believed IS has been launching the attacks there setting off from Hawija, its stronghold in neighboring Kirkuk. Government and tribal forces have launched occasional operations over the past few months to clear border regions between Salahuddin and adjacent provinces, killing dozens of militants. IS fighters have also responded with occasional attacks targeting troops, leaving several deaths. Officials from towns still held by IS since 2014 have pressed the Iraqi government to hasten with security operations to retake those regions, but the Iraqi government is giving most of its attention to its battle in Mosul, Islamic State’s largest stronghold in Iraq. Violence and armed conflicts claimed the lives of 317 Iraqis and caused injuries to 403 others during the month of April, according to a monthly United Nations count. ISIS burning records in Baaj Baaj (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State militants have started burning their archives at an area west of Mosul and near the borders with Syria as pro-government paramilitary troops gain more ground. Jabbar al-Maamouri, a senior leader at al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units), told Alsumaria News that IS, starting Monday morning, began to burn tons of its archives at its main offices, including the hisbah (vigilantism) and security, near residential areas in Baaj. Maamouri said the step comes to cover “crimes” committed by the group and to conceal the identity of its sympathizers, denoting what he described as a “steep collapses” within its ranks. Maamouri predicted the battles against IS in Baaj to conclude soon with many group leaders reportedly fleeing the region. PMUs, an alliance of more than 60 mostly Shia militias, are recognized by the government as a national force under the Prime Minister’s command. They have been actively engaged in the campaign against Islamic State militants in Nineveh’s western regions. Al-Hashd has recaptured several villages since it launched an operation earlier this month to clear Baaj Qairawan and neighboring from IS. A top leader said last week Qairawan was totally liberated. Al-Hashd had said the regions became isolated from Mosul and from IS havens in Syria. The campaign in Baaj runs simultaneously with government troops operations in Mosul, Islamic State’s largest stronghold in Iraq. Security forces are currently invading the last districts held by IS in western Mosul, targeting the strategic Old City where IS first declared the inception of its proclaimed “caliphate”. Posted by: badanov 2017-05-30 |
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