Iraqi Forces Continue Pursuit of ISIS in Hamrin Mountains

An Iraqi soldier looks on as smoke rises from oil wells in the Ajil field east of the city of Tikrit in the Salaheddine province, March 4, 2015. (Reuters)
An Iraqi soldier looks on as smoke rises from oil wells in the Ajil field east of the city of Tikrit in the Salaheddine province, March 4, 2015. (Reuters)
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Iraqi Forces Continue Pursuit of ISIS in Hamrin Mountains

An Iraqi soldier looks on as smoke rises from oil wells in the Ajil field east of the city of Tikrit in the Salaheddine province, March 4, 2015. (Reuters)
An Iraqi soldier looks on as smoke rises from oil wells in the Ajil field east of the city of Tikrit in the Salaheddine province, March 4, 2015. (Reuters)

Elite Iraqi counter-terrorism forces are continuing their operation to eliminate ISIS positions in the Hamrin Mountains.

The area connects the Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, to the Salaheddine province, north of the capital. The area is one of the most prominent ISIS hideouts in Iraq after the country declared its victory against the group in late 2017.

The operation was kicked off two days ago and is being led by Abdulwahhab al-Saaedi.

The counter-terrorism apparatus announced Saturday that 12 terrorists have been killed in operation so far.

A spokesman for the apparatus, Sabah al-Numan, said that the operation took more than a month to plan, revealing that it has thwarted ISIS plots against neighboring regions, as well as a plan for it to set up base in Hamrin.

The international coalition has supported the Iraqi forces in their operation, he told a press conference.

“We are determined to eliminate terrorism this year,” he declared.

An Iraqi security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the operation will extend to other provinces until ISIS is eliminated.

Armed groups expert Dr. Hisham al-Hashemi told Asharq Al-Awsat that ISIS may have lost its control over various regions of Iraq, but it was able to take root in Hamrin where it adjusted to its military defeat and started to regroup.

It is relying on the natural terrain, which is mountainous and dotted with caves, to fortify itself against a military onslaught, he explained.

The Hamrin Mountains has the potential to hold terrorist threats not just against Diyala, Kirkuk and Salaheddine, but the whole of Iraq, he warned.

Confessions by some ISIS captives in Diyala have revealed that the organization is breaking up from the inside and this should be exploited by the Iraqi military and security forces, he urged.

Security expert Fadel Abu Ragheef doubted that the Iraqi authorities would succeed in completely eliminating ISIS in Hamrin given its treacherous terrain.

“They may limit its abilities, but it would be difficult to say that they will eliminate it,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.



UN Says ‘Deliberate’ Choices ‘Systematically’ Depriving Gazans

04 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Nusirat: Displaced Palestinians gather in a charity kitchen to receive aid amid a shortage of food, in Nuseirat refugee camp. (Belal Abu Amer/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
04 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Nusirat: Displaced Palestinians gather in a charity kitchen to receive aid amid a shortage of food, in Nuseirat refugee camp. (Belal Abu Amer/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
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UN Says ‘Deliberate’ Choices ‘Systematically’ Depriving Gazans

04 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Nusirat: Displaced Palestinians gather in a charity kitchen to receive aid amid a shortage of food, in Nuseirat refugee camp. (Belal Abu Amer/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
04 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Nusirat: Displaced Palestinians gather in a charity kitchen to receive aid amid a shortage of food, in Nuseirat refugee camp. (Belal Abu Amer/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)

The UN aid chief said Wednesday that recent "horrifying scenes" of Gazans being killed while seeking food aid were the result of "deliberate choices that have systematically deprived" them of essentials to survive.

A US and Israeli-backed group operating aid sites in the Gaza Strip announced the temporary closure of its facilities on Wednesday, with the Israeli army warning that roads leading to distribution centers were "considered combat zones".

The announcement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation follows a string of deadly incidents near the distribution sites it operates.

On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in southern Gaza when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF aid site, with the military saying the incident was under investigation.

"The world is watching, day after day, horrifying scenes of Palestinians being shot, wounded or killed in Gaza while simply trying to eat," UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement.

"Emergency medical teams have confirmed treating hundreds of trauma cases. Yesterday alone, dozens were declared dead at hospitals after Israeli forces said they had opened fire.

"This is the outcome of a series of deliberate choices that have systematically deprived two million people of the essentials they need to survive."

He echoed the call by UN chief Antonio Guterres for immediate independent investigations, saying they were not isolated incidents, and the perpetrators must be held accountable.

"No-one should have to risk their life to feed their children," said Fletcher.

The GHF began operations a week ago, but the UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with it over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.

Meanwhile the United Nations has described the amount of aid allowed into Gaza, after Israel partially lifted a more than two-month total blockade, as a trickle.

"We must be allowed to do our jobs: we have the teams, the plan, the supplies and the experience," said Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.

"Open the crossings -- all of them. Let in life-saving aid at scale, from all directions. Lift the restrictions on what and how much aid we can bring in.

"Ensure our convoys aren't held up by delays and denials. Release the hostages. Implement the ceasefire."