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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iraqi security forces and Kurdish counter-terrorism units on Saturday launched the fourth stage of an operation against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in areas disputed between Baghdad and Erbil in Diyala province.
Abdul-Ameer Kamil al-Shamiri, deputy commander of Iraqi Joint Operations Command, said in a statement on Saturday that they launched the fourth stage of the “Heroes of Iraq” operation “to pursue remnant terrorists and impose security and stability in Diyala province, as well as clearing and inspecting the border strip with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The operation is also aimed at entering the disputed areas between Iraqi forces and Peshmerga forces - areas “exploited by Daesh (ISIS) fighters to exist and carry out its terrorist operations,” the statement added.
ISIS was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in December 2017. However, remnants of the group continue to operate in the disputed territories, returning to earlier insurgency tactics including ambushes, kidnappings and targeted killings.
Operations to entirely clear their presence from the area have failed, and military bodies worldwide have warned the group is resurging in several locations
The Iraqi army, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic), other Iraqi security forces and Kurdish counter-terrorism forces from Sulaimani province are participating in the latest phase, which targets an areas of 17,685 square kilometers. Iraqi and coalition forces will provide air support.
The first phase of the operation was announced in mid-May, with a focus on the provinces of Anbar, Nineveh and Salahaddin. Phase two was announced on June 2, targeting ISIS holdouts on the fringes of Salahaddin and Kirkuk. The third stage covered Saladin, Diyala, Samarra, and Kirkuk provinces.
The state-owned Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported Saturday morning that Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi arrived at Hashd al-Shaabi’s military base in Diyala to supervise the new phase of the operation.
INA also reported the “clearance” of 27 villages in the province.
The new phase comes one day after after the third anniversary of the liberation of Mosul from ISIS.
Brigadier General Yehia Rasool, spokesperson for the Iraq's Joint Operations Command told Rudaw TV on Thursday that “the Iraqi defense ministry and Peshmerga ministry are continuing their meetings to fill the security gap in the disputed areas, that can reach to 13 km square in some areas.”
Rasool also explained that cooperation between Peshmerga forces and Iraqi security forces is necessary to “exchange information regarding ISIS sleeper cells in the disputed areas.”
However, Peshmerga forces did not take part in Saturday’s operation.
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