Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists have become active again in several areas of Iraq, after several years of calm. According to Shafaq, over the past weekend they carried out a series of attacks in a number of provinces in the north of the country.

A federal police brigadier general and five security officers were killed in a militant attack in Diyala province. Dozens of people were injured. Another clash between militants and security forces took place near the city of Kara-Khanjir. The attack killed at least one federal police officer.

 

The Iraqi government notes the intensification of militants, but does not believe that ISIS will be able to revive in the near future.

“The new attacks by militants do not mean that the situation is out of control; moreover, the situation is under control. Representatives of Iraqi security forces are conducting highly efficient operations against terrorist cells in all Iraqi cities,” Major General Tahsin Al-Khafaji, a representative of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, said in a media commentary.

According to Khafaji, the recent actions of the security forces, who busted a number of terrorist cells, are forcing the Islamic State to undertake risky attacks on security forces. Moreover, the attacks are carried out without any system, since the group’s command was eliminated by the security services.

However, Iraqi media are less optimistic about the situation. It is noted that in recent months, ISIS has deployed new networks to recruit militants both in Iraq and outside the country.

Earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani demanded that the army command and security forces continue operations to identify ISIS hideouts in cities, as well as in desert and mountainous areas in the north of the country, where large terrorist cells are still active.