In a small stretch of land in Iraq’s northeastern Diyala province, Islamic State remnants have taken advantage of a roughly 20-kilometer (12-mile) gap on the line between the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq and federal Iraq. 

The gap is one of several spaces between the Iraqi and Peshmerga front line positions, especially from Kirkuk going south. With no barracks, houses, running water or electricity and amid a politically charged land dispute, both security forces have been reluctant to fill the void. IS has used the vacuum to take shelter and coordinate attacks.

But deadly strikes on both Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and Peshmerga forces earlier this year prompted Baghdad and Erbil to step up coordination efforts and bolster intelligence sharing under Joint Coordination Centers (JCC). The centers will be under the direct supervision of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, according to ISF spokesperson Yehia Rasul.

“Their task is only to coordinate and facilitate the work of all sections as well as coordinate in the fight against [IS],” Rasul told reporters on Saturday.