ISIS activities in Iraq
In August, the security situation in certain areas of Iraq was still tense, mainly due to the actions of Islamic State militants.
On August 3, at least four soldiers were injured in an explosion in the city of Dohuk situated in the south of the northern province of Kirkuk. The explosive device detonated next to their car.
On August 6, a police patrol was attacked in northern Baghdad. One of the law enforcement officers was killed and another one was injured.
On August 15, an Iraqi Air Force aircraft carried out a successful airstrike in the Wadi al-Shai area as part of a counter-terrorism operation.
On August 16, the Iraqi Air Force attacked an ISIS hideout in Kirkuk province.
On August 17, an Iraqi army car was damaged by an explosive device that injured three soldiers, in Kirkuk province. On the same day, near the city of Rawa in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, the plan of ISIS terrorists to establish control over this area was thwarted. In the Khanaqin district of this province, the Iraqi military arrested three terrorists and detained a group of militants.
Additionally, on August 17, Iraqi Air Force jets attacked an ISIS shelter using F-16 tactical fighter jets in the Zagitun Valley in Kirkuk Province, and Iraqi security forces reported capturing six ISIS terrorists.
On August 20, Kurdish Peshmerga and the Iraqi army conducted a joint operation against the remnants of ISIS militants in several districts of Kirkuk province.
On August 21, the intelligence department of the Iraqi Ministry of Internal Affairs announced the arrest of five ISIS terrorists in the northern province of Nineveh.
As a result of an airstrike carried out on August 23 against ISIS terrorist hideouts in the central province of Salah al-Din, in the Karaj Mountains, bunkers with ISIS militants were destroyed.
On August 25, the Iraqi military detained ISIS terrorists in the Jurf al-Nasr area of Sulaymaniyah province and in the Qalaat Saleh area in the southern province of Maysan.
On August 28, the Iraqi military killed an ISIS member in the Qaderiya district in Salah al-Din province. On the same day, three French and two Iraqi soldiers were wounded in an ambush by Islamic State militants in Salah al-Din province. This happened after aircraft of the international coalition against ISIS carried out strikes on terrorist positions in the east of the region, and then troops were landed to follow up on the results of the operation. The paratroopers came under terrorist fire from cover. Reinforcements were sent to the scene, and Iraqi security forces, together with international coalition troops, cleared the area.
On August 31, several missiles were fired at the Khor Mor gas field in the Sulaymaniyah region. There were no casualties or destruction. It must be noted that this is not the first rocket attack on this field.
In early August, a delegation from the Iraqi Ministry of Defense led by the head of the department, Thabet Mohammed al-Abbasi, visited the United States at the invitation of the Pentagon leadership for a two-day visit. During the talks, the parties discussed the possibilities for deepening bilateral security cooperation, “shaping the trajectory of the US military presence in Iraq” and joint efforts to destroy the remnants of the Islamic State in Iraq.
Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani said on August 15 that his country does not need foreign military forces. According to him, “advanced dialogues are underway to determine the form of relations and future cooperation with the international coalition.”
The Ministry of Peshmerga of Iraqi Kurdistan announced on August 17 that it had received another batch of military assistance from the US-led international coalition to fight the Islamic State. It includes new weapons and military equipment that were transferred to the 1st and 2nd Peshmerga Infantry Divisions.
On August 20, the US-led international coalition against ISIS denied rumors that the United States was sending more troops to Iraq. The announcement comes in response to rumors circulating in regional media that US forces are preparing for an operation against Iranian-backed militias in eastern Syria to disrupt Iranian supply routes to Syria and Lebanon. A coalition spokesperson noted that “the movement of American troops along Iraqi roads represents the movement of units focused on countering the Islamic State.” Earlier, on August 17, Pentagon spokesman General Patrick Ryder denied allegations that US forces were involved in securing the border between Iraq and Syria.
From the report prepared by the UN Security Council, it follows that despite the losses of the Islamic State and the reduction in its activity in Iraq and Syria, the situation will keep evolving, and terrorists may once again seriously strengthen their positions. The group continues to include 5-7 thousand people in Iraq and Syria, most of them are militants.