Islamic State conducts attacks near Iraq’s Syrian and Iranian borders
A number of attacks in Iraq’s bordering province, especially Diyala along the Iranian border, have raised concern. Islamic State fighters have filmed themselves with weapons that appear to be of Iranian origin, while security gaps remain due to tension between the KRG and Baghdad.
An uptick in Islamic State (IS) attacks in Iraq’s Diyala province, which borders Iran but also stretches south to the outskirts of the capital, has concerned Iraqi officials and analysts.
On April 27, Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Othman Al-Ghanmi visited the 5th Division in Diyala to assess the current situation in light of the increased threat. There have also been significant security incidents in recent weeks in neighboring Kirkuk and Salahuddin provinces, including an attempted suicide attack on Kirkuk intelligence offices on April 28.
A screen grab from an IS video showcasing fighters launching mortars under a bright Iraqi sun “shows they are confident enough now to conduct attacks in the daytime,” a Diyala security officer told Al-Monitor in an interview conducted via WhatsApp on April 25.
“The attacks always used to happen only after it got dark,” he added, noting that the screen grab sent to Al-Monitor was of an attack conducted about two weeks before near Lake Hamreen in Diyala.
