ISIS lacks the funds and fighters to rebuild in Iraq, US-led coalition says

The US-led anti-ISIS coalition said the extremist group was failing to re-establish itself in Iraq.

ISIS sleeper cells have carried out attacks across the north of the country since 2017, killing or wounding Iraqi and foreign security personnel.

But the coalition said a lack of support for the extremists meant the group continued to lose ground in Iraq.

“ISIS is lacking in financing, fighters and support of populace areas,” Lt Gen Pat White, head of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, said on Friday.

“ISIS was able to conduct complex military operations in 2016-2017. Their attacks consisted of vehicle-borne IEDs and rockets.”

But since then “the degradation of their capabilities has witnessed a different type of attacks, which they are conducting now, of small arms rifles and small calibre mortars,” Lt Gen White said.

He said the extremists also failed to recruit fighters and sympathisers to help the group regain strength in the country “because the coalition’s partner force has been successful in ensuring they remain defeated”.

Lt Gen White said he was surprised ISIS had not taken advantage of the coalition’s decision to suspend aspects of its campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since mid-March the coalition has withdrawn forces from several bases across Iraq due to fears of an outbreak.

Until last month, there were about 7,500 coalition troops in the country, including 5,000 US personnel.

Lt Gen White said he sent some coalition troops home due to the effect the spread of Covid-19 was having on their families.

“I reacted quite quickly after watching what was happening to the rest of the globe, to protect our forces and Iraqis,” he said.

A US-led mission to eliminate ISIS from the region was established in 2014 after the group overran large parts of northern and western Iraq.

Iraqi forces and their international partners declared victory over the extremists in 2017, although the group continued to carry out attacks across the country.

But Lt Gen White said the group had not launched any attacks since a suicide bombing in Kirkuk last month.

The attack, which was carried out on Iraq’s northern intelligence bureau, injured several members of the Iraqi security forces.

It was the first suicide attack launched by the extremist group in months.

Iraqi military bases that host foreign troops have come under several attacks since late March, but ISIS has only claimed responsibility for the attack in Kirkuk.

Last Wednesday, three Katyusha-type rockets struck a military compound near Baghdad’s International Airport.

That site was used to house US troops and diplomats but there was no immediate claim of responsibility.