Kadhimi checks Makhmur, joint operations in Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk start
ERBIL, KRG, Iraq (North Press) – On Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi arrived in Makhmur district where series of bloody attacks were carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS) and took lives of dozens of civilians and Peshmerga fighters.
The visit coincides a joint security operation between Peshmerga forces and Iraqi forces in areas between the governorates of Diyala and Sulaymaniyah, that SIS recently ramped up its activities.
A joint security operation set off east of Kirkuk with the participation of Iraqi and Peshmerga forces in a second joint operation in the disputed territories between the governments of Erbil and Baghdad.
Iraq’s Security Media Cell announced “the operation aims to drain the spring of terrorism, chase terrorist ISIS fighters and clearing Iraqi lands from ISIS”.
Al-Kadhimi landed in Erbil accompanied by a security delegate, including the Minister of Defense, Iraqi Army Chief of Staff, Deputy Joint Operations Commander, Head of the Anti-Terrorism Service, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Intelligence Affairs, among other security officials, Security Media Cell said.
Al-Kadhimi was received by Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region of Iraq, prior his visit to Makhmur district to be briefed on the security conditions days after ISIS attacks.
Barzani and al-Kadhimi discussed the security conditions in the disputed areas and stressed the necessity of coordinating efforts between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces to fill the security gaps that attracted ISIS to carry out deadly attacks.
Meanwhile, leaders of Diyala operations in coordination with the first and the second branches of Peshmerga forces searched and inspected the strip borders among the four federal districts with Kurdistan region; in the outskirts of Khanaqin and Kifri districts.
“A group of counter-terrorism forces and special forces form the KRG guards conducted joint operations in the disputed areas with common security interests with areal support by air force and coalition forces,” General Abdul Amir al-Shammari, leader of joint security operation said in a press conference.
The security operation is in the framework of the joint work supervised by leaders of joint operations in order to clear the common areas of interests from ISIS fighters, he added.
Earlier today, the spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Major General Yahya Rasoul revealed new procedures to boost security in the areas attacked by ISIS remnants.
The security efforts come in the wake of ISIS attacks on Sulaymaniyah and Erbil cities, Kurdistan, in the last two weeks and the explosion of Busra city in Iraq that took lives of four civilians.