Iraq strikes Islamic State hideouts
The US military said in a recent report that IS’ capabilities are “degraded” in Iraq and Syria.
Iraqi forces announced a strike against the Islamic State Wednesday in another sign of the group’s growing weakness.
The Iraqi National Intelligence Service said early Wednesday morning local time that Iraqi air force pilots flying F-16s struck caves being used by IS members in the Qaraj mountains, near Tuz Khurmatu in eastern Iraq. The strikes destroyed IS hideouts in the caves and killed an unspecified number of the group’s members, according to a Facebook post from Iraq’s Security Media Cell.
The group posted a video of the operation on Twitter.
صقور f16 يوجعون الارهاب الداعشي في جبال قرج ويوقعون باوكارهم المزيد من الخسائر الفادحة. pic.twitter.com/rNyFc29BSx
— خلية الإعلام الأمني🇮🇶 (@SecMedCell) August 22, 2023
Why it matters: The Islamic State lost its final territory in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. The group has continued to carry out attacks in both countries since then, but operations by Iraqi forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces, the US-led international coalition and various others have weakened it. The US Department of Defense inspector general's report on IS activity in Iraq and Syria for the second quarter of 2023 noted the group’s limitations.
