Iraqi-Syrian desert border area key amid geopolitical tensions
Recent security incidents indicate that the Islamic State continues to operate in the Iraqi-Syrian border area despite reduced capabilities.
Eastern Syria continues to experience a significant number of attacks by the Islamic State (IS), potentially putting Iraq’s neighboring western Anbar province at risk.
Recent security incidents show that the international terrorist group is still active on both sides of the border, though less so in Iraq than in Syria.
In early May, tribal fighters from Haditha in Anbar reportedly killed several IS fighters who had tried to take refuge in a village mosque.
An Anbar security source told Al-Monitor via WhatsApp that fighters led by a sheikh from the Jughayfa tribe had gone into the desert about 40-50 kilometers (25-31 miles) south of Haditha and saw five armed men enter the mosque. A shootout ensued, he said, during which the armed individuals blew up their suicide belts, killing all five. The mosque was destroyed, local media reported.
