“This is the second day of our military operation to clean the area located in the north of Zarga Bridge. We have intelligence information that ISIS forces are in this area,” Tamr Mohammad, head of the Iraqi units involved in the operation, told Rudaw.
In recent months ISIS militants have targeted Iraqi security forces in the border areas between Tuz Khurmatu and Kirkuk.
Iraqi forces are advancing slowly, as this large area is littered with mines and explosives.
“This area has been a safe haven for terrorists and they use mortar fire from this area against Iraqi forces. We are advancing while there are landmines and bombs,” Nohman Miliki, a commander of the Iraqi forces, told Rudaw.
“We started the operation at 4:00 a.m. at the western part of Tuz Khurmatu. Despite facing landmines and other obstacles, we were able to clear the area. We will advance more,” Sajad Jabr, an Iraqi soldier, told Rudaw.
Although the Iraqi government declared the defeat of ISIS in December 2017, there have also been sporadic military confrontations between ISIS remnants and Iraqi Security Forces, including the Kurdish Peshmerga, around Makhmour and in the Hamrin mountains in Saladin province.
