The US military and Iraqi security forces have killed 15 ISIS fighters in a major operation in Iraq, injuring seven American soldiers.
In 2017, Iraq declared victory over ISIS, but remaining jihadist cells continue sporadic, predominantly rural, assaults on army and police personnel.
The joint raid on Thursday, in a western desert region of Iraq, led to “the death of 15 members” of ISIS, the US Central Command (Centcom) announeced on Saturday. “This IS group was equipped with numerous weapons, grenades and explosive belts. There is no indication that there were any civilian casualties.”
The operation aimed to disrupt ISIS leadership and their ability to plan and execute attacks on civilians in Iraq, US citizens, allies and partners within the region and beyond, according to Centcom.
Seven US soldiers were hurt during the operation, a Centcom offical confirmed.
In Baghdad, Iraqi intelligence services announced the August 29th operation in the Al-Anbar desert, a vast province bordering Syria.
The operation followed over two months of human and technological surveillance to locate “four guest houses” used by ISIS.
“High-ranking leaders” were “likely” among the jihadists killed, according to Iraqi intelligence, with identification processes currently ongoing.
The operation began with “successive airstrikes” against the jihadist hideouts, followed by troops being airlifted in, and ground fighting with ISIS ensued.
Iraqi forces regularly announce various anti-ISIS operations. These forces still benefit from international anti-jihadist coalition expertise and assistance, led by Washington, based in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.
Washington deploys around 2500 military personnel in Iraq and nearly 900 in Syria, as part of this coalition.
In an escalating regional context due to the Gaza war, Baghdad announced a postponement of the end of the coalition mission on its territory in mid-August.
To justify a withdrawal of foreign consultants, which it demands, Baghdad maintains that its security services are now capable of independently fighting a weakened ISIS, which no longer presents the same threat it once did.
Following its rapid rise in 2014 and the conquest of vast territories in Iraq and Syria, the jihadist group watched its self-proclaimed “caliphate” crumble under successive offensives in both countries.
A UN assessment report on ISIS, published in July, estimated the number of jihadists in Iraq and Syria to be “between 1500 and 3000 fighters”, as the organisation continues to face battlefield losses, desertions and recruiting difficulties.
ISIS is still capable of “sporadic and impactful” attacks in Iraq, according to the report. “The group operates in small detachments, with no more than five members in hard-to-reach areas.”
