HAMRIN MOUNTAINS, Iraq — Two weeks after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory against the Islamic State (IS), Iraqi joint forces began an operation to clear out remnants of hideouts in the mountainous terrain in the northern Salahuddin province.
On Dec. 25, the third day of the operation, Al-Monitor accompanied local police, a regional SWAT team and fighters from mostly local Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) into the mountains to root out IS members hiding in tunnels and caves.
