Skip to main content

Iraqi forces hunt down IS remnants in Hamrin Mountains

After the declaration of victory against the Islamic State, Iraqi security forces are still hunting small groups of IS fighters in the remote areas.
Shelly_Kittleson.jpg

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.

Officers on the front told Al-Monitor that at least 50 armed IS fighters were estimated to be in the area.

Three IS militants were killed the day that Al-Monitor accompanied the forces, according to an officer on the front, while two members of the local police force were injured.

Several SPG-9 rifles and other weapons were found in hastily dug holes when Iraqi forces exploring the steep sides of the mountainous terrain spotted the loose soil used to cover the arms.

After leaving before dawn from the nearby town of al-Alam, the local police unit stopped along the road to pray and eat a few dates for energy prior to sunrise. They then moved toward the mountains along a road flanking the Albu Ajil and Alas oil fields.

Flames from oil wells, first set alight in March 2015 by IS in an attempt to ward off air attacks, brightened the landscape.

A regional SWAT team met up with the local police with whom Al-Monitor was traveling. Team members said “resistance” had been found along the road and cradled their guns out of half-opened vehicle windows. After passing through the mountain chain, we were in a higher altitude plain in adjacent Kirkuk province; this is where Hawija and surrounding agricultural villages were freed from IS in early October.

While a black IS flag still flew high over the pass, written on it were the words “Ya Hussein,” an invocation to the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussein ibn Ali, who is revered by Shiite Muslims.

Salahuddin is a mainly Sunni province, but local Shiite PMUs were instrumental in freeing it from IS.

Leaving the vehicles in the foothills of the low-lying mountain chain, with some men stationed next to mortar positions, the forces spread out on foot. Several hours later, after two men from the local police had been injured by shooting from IS fighters said to have been hiding in a tunnel, the forces explored an area over which helicopters had been seen circling. On arriving near the area of impact, two vehicles were found: one with a Salahuddin license plate and another without any license plate and with rusty munitions stacked in the back.

IS often booby-traps vehicles, but Al-Monitor was told the vehicles had likely been abandoned hastily due to aircraft overhead and the impracticality of advancing farther by vehicle.

While the vehicles were being searched, a man inexplicably opened fire on them. Shouting ensued, and Al-Monitor and others left the immediate vicinity because of the potential danger of the munitions' exploding. Once far enough away to be relatively safe, fighters began yelling about why the man might have done this. He had subsequently moved away in the opposite direction.

Brig. Gen. Mohammed Al-Hamash, the al-Alam local police commander, told Al-Monitor that the man was from the “southern PMU” and that he was only an ambulance driver. Al-Monitor was told that the incident would be reported to the Liwa Karbala PMU.

A source closely connected to local armed forces also told Al-Monitor that a former imam who had taken up arms in the fight against IS and who now leads a local PMU unit had been injured the previous day by individuals from the “southern PMU” during a dispute. Al-Monitor could not independently verify this information.

Rumors about various alleged abuses by nonlocal PMU are rife, but the area has long seen collaboration with them as essential, and many local men fight within the ranks of nonlocal ones, such as the Badr Organization.

The area is also near a political fault line between the central government and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) territories.

The Hamrin Mountain chain, which runs from near the Iranian border in Diyala province to northern Salahuddin and southern Kirkuk, has long been claimed by Kurdish ideologues and leaders as the ideal boundary for any future Kurdish state.

The taking back of oil-rich Kirkuk by the central government in mid-October after the Sept. 25 independence referendum called by the KRG’s then-President Massoud Barzani has, however, made any Kurdish state unlikely for the near future.

Wadis, small caves and other physical features of the Hamrin Mountains make it an ideal hiding place. It was where civilians escaped to from Hawija while the town was under IS control for three years. Many civilians died from the numerous IEDs planted on the routes or from hardship along the way.

Until the retaking of Hawija from IS control in early October, the town of al-Alam on the other side of the Hamrin Mountains had been filled with internally displaced persons from Hawija and surrounding villages.

On several visits to al-Alam over the course of about a year, Al-Monitor met with people who had made the dangerous journey at night through the mountains and heard stories of corpses seen along the route.

When Al-Monitor visited the town again in late December, most of the internally displaced persons were said to have returned to Hawija and the surrounding area. Attacks continue to occur in the area, however. Officers involved in the operation told Al-Monitor that the clearing of the Hamrin Mountains is expected to sharply reduce possibilities for insurgents to conduct such attacks.

Join hundreds of Middle East professionals with Al-Monitor PRO.

Business and policy professionals use PRO to monitor the regional economy and improve their reports, memos and presentations. Try it for free and cancel anytime.

Already a Member? Sign in

Free

The Middle East's Best Newsletters

Join over 50,000 readers who access our journalists dedicated newsletters, covering the top political, security, business and tech issues across the region each week.
Delivered straight to your inbox.

Free

What's included:
Our Expertise

Free newsletters available:

  • The Takeaway & Week in Review
  • Middle East Minute (AM)
  • Daily Briefing (PM)
  • Business & Tech Briefing
  • Security Briefing
  • Gulf Briefing
  • Israel Briefing
  • Palestine Briefing
  • Turkey Briefing
  • Iraq Briefing
Expert

Premium Membership

Join the Middle East's most notable experts for premium memos, trend reports, live video Q&A, and intimate in-person events, each detailing exclusive insights on business and geopolitical trends shaping the region.

$25.00 / month
billed annually

Become Member Start with 1-week free trial
What's included:
Our Expertise AI-driven

Memos - premium analytical writing: actionable insights on markets and geopolitics.

Live Video Q&A - Hear from our top journalists and regional experts.

Special Events - Intimate in-person events with business & political VIPs.

Trend Reports - Deep dive analysis on market updates.

Text Alerts - Be the first to get breaking news, exclusives, and PRO content.

All premium Industry Newsletters - Monitor the Middle East's most important industries. Prioritize your target industries for weekly review:

  • Capital Markets & Private Equity
  • Venture Capital & Startups
  • Green Energy
  • Supply Chain
  • Sustainable Development
  • Leading Edge Technology
  • Oil & Gas
  • Real Estate & Construction
  • Banking

We also offer team plans. Please send an email to pro.support@al-monitor.com and we'll onboard your team.

Already a Member? Sign in

Start your PRO membership today.

Join the Middle East's top business and policy professionals to access exclusive PRO insights today.

Join Al-Monitor PRO Start with 1-week free trial