We should weaken ISIS financial resources to prevent its attacks: Kadhimi’s spox

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi government should work on weakening the financial resources of the Islamic State (ISIS) rather than reacting to its attacks, military spokesperson for Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi told Rudaw late Friday. 

Ten soldiers and one officer were killed when an Iraqi base in Diyala province was attacked early Friday. ISIS claimed responsibility later in the same day. 

“We wait for Daesh [ISIS] to attack us. We have to work on weakening its financial resources. We will [also] use our planes [to attack ISIS], confront Daesh through aerial and ground operations. All our efforts aim to prevent Daesh attacks," Yehia Rasool told Rudaw. 

He also said that ISIS benefits from the security gap between the Iraqi army and Peshmerga forces, noting that “we will try to fill all the gaps to prevent Daesh attacks. However, these areas are wide and not easy to control.”

Kadhimi’s spokesperson also said that they have good coordination with Peshmerga forces in areas disputed by Erbil and Baghdad. 

The deadly attack has been widely condemned locally and internationally. 

One of the victims was Lieutenant Zargham Luay, 26, who got married a month ago. He was supposed to return home on the same day of the attack.

The attack is the deadliest ISIS attack on the Iraqi army in 2022.