Daesh Takfiri terrorists have killed a senior commander of the Popular Mobilization Units in Iraq’s eastern province of Diyala as government troops and allied fighters are engaged in joint counter-terrorism operations across the crisis-hit Arab country to flush out the last remnants of the extremist outfit. RNA - A provincial security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Arabic-language al-Maalomah news agency on Tuesday that a high-ranking commander of the forces – commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi – was killed and four of his aides sustained injuries when a group of Daesh terrorists stormed a security checkpoint in Tal Ari area on the outskirts of the northeastern Iraqi town of Khanaqin the previous night.
The source added that Hashd al-Sha’abi forces together with government troops have launched a joint security operation in the area in order to hunt down the terrorists and destroy Daesh sleeper cells there.
The media office of Hashd al-Shaabi later identified the commander as Muhammad Ali Majeed al-Anbaki, stating that he was affiliated with Brigade 23 of the forces.
The media bureau of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement on Monday that nearly 25 Daesh militants had been killed in an airdrop operation on terrorist hideouts at a mountainous area in the northern part of the country’s north-central province of Salahuddin.
The statement read that an airborne force from the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) conducted an operation on Qara-Chokh Mountain near Makhoul mountain range, and the offensive started early on Sunday and continued into Monday dawn. Iraqi forces fought fierce clashes with Daesh Takfiris.
On March 6, Iraqi security forces and allied Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters managed to ensure security in several rugged areas in Diyala province during an offensive to hunt down Daesh remnants in the area.
Iraq’s Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) spokesperson Sabah al-Naaman said at the time police forces and Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters had destroyed militant hideouts in the Khanaqin district as well as the Hamrin Mountains, which the extremists used as safe havens to carry out frequent attacks against security forces and civilians.
Naaman noted that security and Hashd al-Sha’abi forces had dealt heavy blows to Daesh militants during the ongoing operations, killing at least 39 of them within three days.