The Iraqi Horn Retaliates Against Daesh

Iraq’s retaliatory air strikes kill suspected Daesh terrorists

Daesh was largely defeated in Iraq in 2017, but thousands of terrorists have continued to wage attacks, frequently hitting security forces and the military. (AP)

The operation on suspected Daesh militants came after the boldest attacks by the terrorists in recent weeks that killed a guard and 11 Iraqi soldiers earlier this month

Iraqi air strikes have killed nine suspected Daesh terrorists, including four Lebanese, in retaliation for an earlier Daesh attack on Iraqi army barracks.

Yehia Rasool, the spokesperson for Iraq’s commander in chief, said on Sunday that the joint military operations room and the air force identified the cell behind the attack as its members hid in Al Azim, north of Baghdad.

Earlier this month, Daesh militants in Iraq broke into a barracks in the mountainous Al Azim district outside the town of Baqouba on Jan 21, killed a guard, and shot dead 11 soldiers as they slept. 

It was one of the boldest attacks by the terrorists in recent weeks and came amid an uptick in violence that stoked fears the group has been re-energised.

Three air strikes that were launched killed the nine terrorists, Rasool said.

Four Lebanese among the dead

A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that four among the killed were Lebanese, natives of the northern town of Tripoli.

Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV gave a higher death toll, saying that five Lebanese were killed in Iraq. 

Also on Sunday, Iraqi anti-terrorism units carried out an inspection campaign in seven prisons in Iraq holding Daesh members.

The campaign comes after a brazen prison attack Daesh terrorists carried out in northeastern Syria that lasted for over a week and in which an unknown numb