The United States has led an offensive against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq since August. It has been backed on the ground by the Iraqi military with the support of US-led coalition forces and the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Units that has forced IS to retreat from some of its territory in Iraq, such as Tikrit and regions around the capital, Baghdad, killing thousands of its militants in the process, with a death toll that amounted to over 6,000 as of January.
Iraq’s security forces are now battling in the region of Anbar, a stronghold of Iraqi Sunnis, spearheaded by this unlikely alliance. However, to succeed in this particular region, it needs to gain the trust of the Arab Sunni tribes.