IS finds 'safe haven' in Iraq
(Baonghean.vn) - Although US President Donald Trump declared that "100% of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) has been defeated", a US military officer said that IS is currently operating quite comfortably in a remote area in Iraq.
 |
| US general confirms information that IS fighters are moving from Syria to the area in Northern Iraq - Photo: NBC News |
According to General William Seely, commander of the US Special Forces in Iraq, US Marine Corps Brigade, after IS leader Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a US raid, IS fighters are now moving from Syria to a remote area in northern Iraq. This is a valley located in the mountainous region of Iraq, one side of the valley is managed by Kurdish forces, the other side is managed by the Iraqi army. However, the dividing line between the two sides - about 8 km wide - is not patrolled by any side. Therefore, this is considered a safe haven for IS fighters.
 |
| IS is seeking to restore an “Islamic State” in northern Iraq - Photo: NBC News |
When the US announced the complete defeat of IS in March, including the death of its leader Bakr al-Baghdadi, US defence officials warned that IS remained a threat in Iraq and Syria. Former US Defence Secretary James Mattis also suggested that the decision to withdraw troops from the Syrian border area could lead to a resurgence of IS. This assessment is now being verified in practice.
General Sirwan Barzani, commander of Kurdish forces at a stronghold in Mount Makhmour, said they saw IS fighters moving, mostly at night. They traveled by motorbike, pickup trucks or on foot from Syria to the valley in Iraq. The valley has caves and many tunnel systems, making it a very safe haven for IS fighters.
General William Seely is concerned that IS’s goal is to restore an “Islamic State” with existing territories. Currently, the number of IS fighters remaining is small, only a few hundred. However, IS previously started with a similar number of soldiers, before conquering a large territory of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers with 10 million people living under its control.
General Alexus Grynkewich, deputy commander of the Joint Task Force - the US-led force to fight IS in Iraq and Syria - warned that to re-establish the "Islamic State", IS soldiers could start by capturing surrounding villages at night, and said that what is happening in northern Iraq could repeat what happened in 2012.
