ISIS fighters killed

Clashes in Diyala result in casualties among Iraqi security forces

DIYALA — Four members of Iraq’s security forces and three Islamic State (IS) fighters were killed Saturday during clashes in the Khan Bani Saad area of Diyala governorate, officials reported. The confrontation occurred as Iraqi forces, including both army and police units, launched an operation targeting IS suspects in rural Diyala, approximately 40 kilometers north of Baghdad.

The government’s security media cell issued a statement noting, “Our security forces surrounded a group of terrorists […] and killed and injured a number of them during clashes.”

The operation, initiated early Saturday in the Al-Ayit area, escalated when IS fighters engaged the security forces. Colonel Haitham, a spokesperson for Diyala police, told 964media, “Early morning, the Iraqi army began the operation in the Al-Ayit area in Khan Bani Saad, which is located in the southwestern part of Diyala governorate. The suspects confronted the security forces.”

A local police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, detailed the toll on Iraqi forces: “One soldier and three policemen were killed in the ongoing clashes.” This information clarifies that a total of four security personnel were killed.

Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari and Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army, Abdul Amir Yarallah, subsequently visited the area to oversee the ongoing security measures. Their visits underscore the high level of concern regarding IS activities in the region.

Local police noted that the area had seen continued activity against IS prior to Saturday’s operation, including a military operation on Friday that resulted in the death of two IS fighters. Despite significant losses, IS continues to conduct attacks from remote and desert areas, exploiting these locations as hideouts.

Authorities also reported that Ashura processions in Khan Bani Saad have been suspended due to the ongoing security situation. This religious observance commemorates the death of Imam Hussein Ibn Ali, a central figure in Shia Islam, who was killed by Umayyad troops in the seventh century.

Since declaring a caliphate in 2014, IS has been officially expelled from Iraq in 2017 by local forces with coalition support, and lost its final territorial stronghold in Syria in 2019. However, a United Nations report from January highlights that between 3,000 and 5,000 IS fighters remain active across Iraq and Syria, continuing to pose a significant security challenge.

AFP contributed to this report

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