Baghdadi killing important but doesn't end ISIS: Kurdish leaders

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region- The death of Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is an important step in the fight against ISIS but is not the end of the terror group, Kurdistan Region officials said on Sunday amid reports that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) provided vital information that facilitated the US-led operation.

“The Kurdistan Region, as an important and main component of the International Coalition against Daesh, considers the destruction of the head of the terrorist Daesh organization Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi a big step in the fight against terror,” KRI President Nechirvan Barzani said in a Sunday statement, using the Arabic acronym of ISIS, before thanking the US and all those who contributed to the mission.

“Killing Baghdadi, after the destruction of the so-called caliphate of Daesh, is an important step, but this in no way means the end of terror, or the end of Daesh’s ideology or mindset,” Barzani added.

In the early hours of Sunday, a US-led operation on a compound reportedly sheltering the ISIS leader in Barisha village, in northwest Syrian province of Idlib ended with Baghdadi committing suicide.

While US President Donald Trump hailed Russia, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq, and to a lesser degree Kurds, reports indicate that the Kurdistan Region and Syrian Kurds provided more intelligence than any other actors that contributed to the death of the ISIS leader.

At the height of ISIS’ expansion and control of territory in 2014, the KRI fought ISIS along a frontline extending 1,000 kilometers. More than 1,000 dead Peshmerga fighters died, with thousands more injured.

KRI President Barzani asserted that the danger of ISIS’ movements becoming stronger still remains large.

“That is why the international community should continue its assistance and cooperation, not only militarily, but [they] should also bolster their efforts and assistance to develop the education and culture of co-existence, tolerance, acceptance, and eliminating the groundwork that produces terror and people like Baghdad,” added Barzani.

The KRI will continue supporting global efforts in the fight against ISIS and its ideology to prevent its resurgence, added the president.

Former President and current head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Masoud Barzani echoed the same sentiments, arguing that ISIS hasn’t ended.

“The killing of this murderer, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will have a huge impact on weakening the terrorists of the Islamic State, however, it is imperative for everyone to be mindful of the fact that this is not the end of the I.S. and that the war against terrorism must continue,” said Barzani in a Sunday tweet. 

This was echoed by Kurdistan Region Government spokesperson Jutiyar Adil, who said that the Kurdish region has given “many sacrifices” as it continues to fight extremist thought, with the collapse of ISIS begun by “the hands of the brave Peshermga” who “shattered” Daesh. 

Other Kurdish officials took to Twitter to call for a continued fight against the terror group and its ideology, which is threatening to resurge as a result of the Turkish assault on Rojava, the Kurdish-controlled enclave in northeast Syria. 

“Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s death serves as a testament to the sacrifices & courage of all the brave men & women who fought ISIS in the pursuit of bringing down their caliphate. But the fight isn’t over, we must remain vigilant in ensuring their reemergence is crushed,” Lahur Talabany, the head of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) counterterrorism forces, a main ground force against ISIS, tweeted. 

Iraqi leadership, however, seemed silent, as they are already busy with the large-scale demonstrations and protests across the country’s south. The Iraqi president, however, echoed the same sentiments of Kurdish leaders.

“Al-Baghdadi caused untold slaughter, mayhem & suffering. His demise is a great milestone in war against terror. While remembering his victims, [we] must ensure the fight continues to eradicate scourge of terrorism through continued security vigilance, inclusive political systems, development,” Iraqi President Barham Salih tweeted Sunday. 

ISIS has currently returned to its pre-2014 tactics, namely hit-and-run insurgency tactics. It conducts daily attacks against Iraqi forces, especially in the Sunni areas of the country.

Iran-backed Shiite-majority Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic, announced on Sunday that they had repelled a "big terror attack" by ISIS in Diyala province.  Three ISIS fighters are reported to have been killed, the PMF claimed.