Iraqi Security Conducts a Successful Operation Against ISIS

Iraqi army soldiers (file photo: Reuters)
Iraqi army soldiers (file photo: Reuters)
TT

Iraqi Security Conducts a Successful Operation Against ISIS

Iraqi army soldiers (file photo: Reuters)
Iraqi army soldiers (file photo: Reuters)

Iraq's Security Media Cell announced on Sunday that four ISIS terrorists were killed in a precise air strike in Diyala, northeast of Baghdad.

The operation, carried out by the Iraqi Air Force utilizing F-16 aircraft, targeted and destroyed important hideouts in al-Qubba in the Al-Waqf area in Diyala Governorate.

Following the airstrike, a security force arrived to inspect the targeted area and discovered four bodies of ISIS terrorists and a cache of destroyed weapons and equipment.

According to preliminary information, among the dead was Majid Maiouf, a long-sought militant.

A detailed joint operations report revealed the specific details regarding the operation, which is part of a broader campaign against the extremist group.

The report highlighted the Intelligence Service's pivotal role in the operation's logistical preparations. It included close coordination with the targeting cell in the Joint Operations Command and under the supervision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani.

After the operation, a security team combed the targeted place, during which they found the four dead ISIS terrorists, indicating that the group targeted the people of Diyala and neighboring governorates during the past periods.

Meanwhile, an air attack targeted an arms convoy within Syrian territory coming from Iraqi territory.

A statement carried by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Sunday that two members of Iran-affiliated militias of non-Syrian nationality were seriously injured in a US drone attack.

The strike targeted at least one truck loaded with weapons and ammunition en route to the town of al-Ghubrah – al-Hamdan Airport in the al-Bu Kamal countryside, east of Deir ez-Zor after the car crossed Iraqi territory.

The injured persons were transferred to the hospital for treatment amid intense security measures by the militias.

The armed factions announced in a similar statement on Sunday the targeting of two Israeli and US bases in the Syrian Golan and al-Hasakah.

The statement indicated that the armed factions targeted, with a drone, the Qasrak US base in al-Hasakah, northeastern Syria.

It added that the forces also targeted a Zionist bast in the Golan Heights.

- Sudani

Furthermore, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani announced on the anniversary of Iraqi Army Day the start of the countdown to the international coalition in Iraq.

Sudani indicated that the government is beginning the process of removing the US-led international military coalition from the country.

The statement from the PM's office indicated that the government is setting a date for the start of the bilateral committee to make arrangements to permanently end the presence of the international coalition forces in Iraq.

The United States did not respond to the statement or clarify whether it had received a notification or request from Iraq in this regard.

On Sunday, former Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Othman al-Ghanimi accused the US-led international coalition of "sowing corruption" within the Iraqi military establishment.

Ghanimi said in a televised statement that the "International Coalition" introduced corruption into the Iraqi army, explaining that the military did not engage with contractors and companies for provisions and food, as it used to cook dry and wet rations through its storehouses.

He indicated that the occupation forces brought the contractors and concluded agreements with them, pointing out that the coalition forces were the ones who sowed corruption through "commissions," agreements, and deals.



Israel Asks Diplomats to Seek Houthis' Listing as Terrorists

Houthi supporters hold up weapons during an anti-US and anti-Israel protest in Sanaa, Yemen, 20 December 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
Houthi supporters hold up weapons during an anti-US and anti-Israel protest in Sanaa, Yemen, 20 December 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
TT

Israel Asks Diplomats to Seek Houthis' Listing as Terrorists

Houthi supporters hold up weapons during an anti-US and anti-Israel protest in Sanaa, Yemen, 20 December 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
Houthi supporters hold up weapons during an anti-US and anti-Israel protest in Sanaa, Yemen, 20 December 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB

Israel has instructed its diplomatic missions in Europe to try to get the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen designated as a terrorist organization.

"The Houthis pose a threat not only to Israel but also to the region and the entire world. The first and most basic thing to do is to designate them as a terrorist organization," Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said in a statement.

The Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel in what the group describes as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The Israeli military said on Tuesday it intercepted a projectile launched from Yemen. It was the third time in a week that fire from Yemen set off sirens in Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told lawmakers on Monday that he had ordered the country's military to destroy the Houthi infrastructure in Yemen.