Islamic State in Iraq is not over yet

Several terrorist attacks occurred across Iraq during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, raising concerns of a resurgence of the Islamic State (IS).

IS set a trap for soldiers in the Iraqi army in Tarmiya in northwest Baghdad on June 4, killing seven soldiers and officers and injuring at least 21 others. The attack targeted the Commando Battalion of the Baghdad Operations Command, which went to the area after receiving fake reports from residents who claimed they drove over an explosive device that blew up. The soldiers were then targeted by IS snipers as soon as they got to the area; no IS members were captured.

In his speech after the Eid al-Fitr prayer, Asaib Ahl al-Haq's General Secretary Qais al-Khazali called on Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to address the urgent situation in Tarmiya, saying "IS has not left Tarmiya at all." He said IS has safe havens there, urging Abdul Mahdi to undertake cleansing operations in the area.

Another attack targeted members of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) in Jurf al-Sakhar in southern Baghdad on the same day of the Tarmiya incident — the same area saw another attack May 31 that killed some members of the PMU and injured others. Local authorities pointed out that “the number of IS militants was significant.”