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.



‘Oil-for-Salaries’ Deal Ends Dispute Between Baghdad and Erbil

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stressed the need to put an end to attacks on the region, particularly targeting oil fields (Reuters)
Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stressed the need to put an end to attacks on the region, particularly targeting oil fields (Reuters)
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‘Oil-for-Salaries’ Deal Ends Dispute Between Baghdad and Erbil

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stressed the need to put an end to attacks on the region, particularly targeting oil fields (Reuters)
Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stressed the need to put an end to attacks on the region, particularly targeting oil fields (Reuters)

The Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) reached a landmark agreement on Thursday that ends a years-long dispute over oil revenues and public sector salaries.

The deal, announced following an emergency cabinet meeting in Baghdad, covers oil production handover, non-oil revenue sharing, and the resumption of salary payments to KRG employees beginning with May 2025.

According to a government statement, the agreement was based on a recommendation by a ministerial committee and aligned with Kurdistan’s regional cabinet decision No. 285, issued on July 16.

KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani confirmed the breakthrough, stating that the federal government had approved a “mutual understanding regarding salaries and the region’s financial entitlements.”

Under the terms of the deal, the KRG will hand over all crude oil production - currently 280,000 barrels per day (bpd) - to Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), with the exception of 50,000 bpd reserved for domestic consumption. This marks the first such commitment in more than two years, during which oil exports were suspended amid ongoing disputes and recent drone strikes targeting northern oilfields operated mostly by US firms.

In return, the federal Ministry of Finance will pay $16 per barrel, in cash or in kind, to cover production costs. Revenues from locally consumed oil derivatives will go to the federal treasury after deducting production and transport expenses.

On non-oil revenues, the KRG will transfer an initial 120 billion Iraqi dinars (approx. $92 million) to the federal finance ministry, representing an estimate of Baghdad’s share for May. A joint audit team from both governments will verify and finalize the figures within two weeks.

To resolve long-standing disputes over public salaries, a new joint committee will oversee the localization of KRG employee payrolls, in line with a ruling from the Federal Supreme Court. The committee is expected to complete its work within three months.

As part of the agreement’s first phase, the federal government will begin disbursing May salaries following confirmation from SOMO that the agreed oil volumes have been received.