Surveillance footage shows the ISIS vehicle moments before it was targeted and destroyed by an Iraqi airstrike in the Rawa district of western Anbar.
Anbar
Iraqi airstrike destroys ISIS vehicle packed with weapons in Rawa
ANBAR — Iraqi forces carried out an airstrike Friday that destroyed a vehicle loaded with weapons, ammunition and explosives belonging to the Islamic State group in the western district of Rawa, according to a statement from the Joint Operations Command.
The strike, conducted by Iraqi Cessna Caravan aircraft, followed detailed coordination between the Military Intelligence Directorate and the Joint Operations Command’s targeting cell.
“In a specialized, precision operation based on accurate intelligence from the heroes of the Military Intelligence Directorate, and in coordination with the targeting cell at Joint Operations Command, a vehicle loaded with weapons, ammunition and explosives belonging to ISIS terrorists was detected in Rawa, within the area of responsibility of the Al-Jazira Operations Command,” the statement said.
Surveillance footage showed the vehicle moments before it was struck. Air crews launched a strike that “resulted in the complete destruction of the vehicle.”
“The desperate efforts by ISIS terrorist remnants to hide from our heroic security forces are futile,” the statement continued. “All such attempts will fail thanks to the experience, precise intelligence, and continuous field work carried out by our courageous security units and specialized agencies.”
Iraqi forces have intensified operations targeting ISIS remnants, particularly in disputed areas between Baghdad and Erbil, including Kirkuk, Salah Al-Din, Nineveh and Diyala. ISIS cells continue to operate in these regions and have carried out sporadic attacks against civilians and security forces. The security vacuum has made these areas a focal point for ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
In March, Iraqi and U.S. forces launched a targeted airstrike in Anbar province that killed Abdallah Maki Mosleh Al-Rifai, also known as Abu Khadija, who led ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani described him as “one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world.”