Iraqi Army Carries out ‘Sophisticated’ Operation against ISIS

A member of Iraqi Federal Police waves an Iraqi flag as they celebrate victory of military operations against ISIS militants in West Mosul. (Reuters file photo)
A member of Iraqi Federal Police waves an Iraqi flag as they celebrate victory of military operations against ISIS militants in West Mosul. (Reuters file photo)
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Iraqi Army Carries out ‘Sophisticated’ Operation against ISIS

A member of Iraqi Federal Police waves an Iraqi flag as they celebrate victory of military operations against ISIS militants in West Mosul. (Reuters file photo)
A member of Iraqi Federal Police waves an Iraqi flag as they celebrate victory of military operations against ISIS militants in West Mosul. (Reuters file photo)

Iraq Defense Ministry spokesperson Yahya Rasoul stressed that military operations against ISIS were ongoing, revealing that a recent “sophisticated” operation led to the arrest of four terrorists.

Rasoul told Iraqi News Agency on Thursday that Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi ordered the continuation of operations against ISIS remnants, based on a strategy set in coordination with intelligence and security agencies.

Sophisticated operations are regularly being carried out, he added.

He went on saying that that the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Force (CTF) carried out such an operation on Wednesday, covering regions north of Baghdad and in Babel, Kirkuk and Diyala. Four terrorists were detained for being part of a terrorist network aimed at destabilizing security.

Kadhimi is following up on the air and ground operations against ISIS strongholds, he said.

Last week, the army launched a military operation to cleanse vast areas north of Baghdad of ISIS remnants.

Iraq's Security Media Cell announced that the operation was ordered by the PM and supervised by the Joint Operations Command. It added that the troops were backed by the air force, after receiving delicate intelligence information regarding ISIS remnants.



Arab Foreign Ministers Call for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza

Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani attends the opening session of the Rome Med 2024, Mediterranean Dialogues conference in Rome, Italy, 25 November 2024. (EPA)
Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani attends the opening session of the Rome Med 2024, Mediterranean Dialogues conference in Rome, Italy, 25 November 2024. (EPA)
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Arab Foreign Ministers Call for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza

Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani attends the opening session of the Rome Med 2024, Mediterranean Dialogues conference in Rome, Italy, 25 November 2024. (EPA)
Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani attends the opening session of the Rome Med 2024, Mediterranean Dialogues conference in Rome, Italy, 25 November 2024. (EPA)

Several Arab foreign ministers, gathering in Rome on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meeting, are calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon and the provision of humanitarian aid to Palestinians.

The ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, and the secretary general of the League of Arab States, all participated in a Rome conference before joining G7 foreign minsters later in the day in nearby Fiuggi.

“Gaza is now a graveyard for children, a graveyard for human values, a graveyard for international law,” said Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.

The Mideast conflict was the top agenda item Monday for the G7, amid reported progress on a possible ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel’s ambassador to the US said a deal could be reached within days.

“We all hope and pray that this ceasefire will be realized because the absence of it will mean more destruction, and more and more animosity, and more dehumanization, and more hatred, and more bitterness which will doom the future of the region to more conflict and more killing and more destruction,” Safadi said.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty reaffirmed that Cairo would host a ministerial-level conference next Monday on mobilizing international aid for Gaza.

In remarks to the “Mediterranean Dialogues” conference, he called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, the release of hostages, provision of humanitarian aid for Palestinians and the initiation of “a serious and genuine political process” to create a Palestinian state.