“We have called on the command of Iraqi joint operations for a joint military operation with the Peshmerga to step up security in places east of Salahaddin and north of Diyala where ISIS militants have resumed activities with recent incidents of murder and kidnapping,” Lieutenant General Mazar Azzawi, commander of Diyala operations, told Rudaw.
He added they are awaiting a response from their superiors and have coordination with Peshmerga forces.
ISIS militants in Kirkuk and Diyala provinces have stepped up their activities – attacking villages and security forces.
ISIS militants have concentrated in the Hamrin mountains, creating a security threat. Militants have attacked villages, killing and kidnapping residents, and clashing with security forces.
“Large territories in Diyala are currently controlled by ISIS, including areas in Qaratapa, Nada, Naftkhana, Wadi Salab, Sheikh Baba gardens, and Kani Masi. These areas are home to ISIS militants, and there are no forces there to confront them,” Major Ahmad Mustafa, a Peshmerga intelligence officer, had previously told Rudaw.
The area was under control of Peshmerga forces until last October when Iraqi forces took over. There are growing calls for the return of the Kurdish forces or joint cooperation to secure the area.
According to Peshmerga intelligence reports, 85 percent of the Hamrin mountains has fallen to ISIS militants.
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