Iraq brings all remaining Daesh territory under attack
BAGHDAD: Iraq brought all of its territory still held by Daesh under attack Thursday, throwing the militants on the defensive across their selfproclaimed regime extending into neighboring Syria.
Security forces backed by paramilitary units launched a dawn assault on a besieged Daesh-held pocket around the northern town of Hawija, just days after attacking the militants’ only other foothold in the country.
The territory still held by Daesh has been dwindling fast since its defeat in Iraq’s second city Mosul in July, with stronghold after stronghold coming under assault on both sides of the border with Syria.
Most of its onetime Syria bastion Raqqa, long a byword for its most gruesome atrocities, is now in the hands of US-backed fighters, while elsewhere in Syria Daesh has suffered major losses to Russian-backed government forces.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi predicted that the assault on the Hawija region would swiftly bring a new victory against the crumbling militants.
The mainly Sunni Arab enclave, which was bypassed by government forces in their advance north to Mosul last year, has been a bastion of insurgency ever since the first year of the US-led occupation in 2003.
After the defeat of Daesh in Mosul and the recapture of adjacent areas, Hawija and neighboring towns form the last enclave still held by Daesh in Iraq apart from a section of the Euphrates Valley downstream from the border with Syria.
“At the dawn of a new day, we announce the launch of the first stage of the liberation of Hawija, in accordance with our commitment to our people to liberate all Iraqi territory and eradicate Daesh’s terrorist groups,” Abadi said, using an Arabic acronym for Daesh.
“Greetings to all of our forces, who are waging several battles of liberation at the same time and who are winning victory after victory and this will be another, with the help of God,” he said.