At least nine members of the federal police, including an officer, were killed on Sunday in an attack attributed to jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) group against the armored vehicle transporting them in northern Iraq, the source said. AFP from police sources.
This is one of the deadliest attacks carried out in recent months in Iraq, illustrating the capacity for harm retained by the jihadists, who would have between 6,000 and 10,000 active fighters in Iraq and neighboring Syria, according to a UN report. .
On Sunday, in the vicinity of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, the explosion of a bomb was followed by ” a direct attack with small arms “, near the village of Chalal al-Matar, told AFP a federal police officer who requested anonymity, attributing to the IS the ambush which was not immediately claimed. “ One assailant has been killed and we are looking for the others. “, he assured.
After the death of two wounded, the initial toll was revised upwards, the officer reporting nine dead among the police.
Jihadists still active in several areas
After a meteoric rise in power in 2014 in Iraq and neighboring Syria and the conquest of vast territories, the IS saw its self-proclaimed “caliphate” crumble under the impact of successive offensives in these two countries. While Iraq declared its military victory against IS in 2017, jihadists remain active in several areas and continue to carry out attacks, most often against security forces.
The security forces are carrying out counter-terrorism operations and regularly announcing the death of dozens of jihadists in airstrikes or raids.
Condemning an attack ” cowardly terrorist “, Prime Minister Mohamed Chia al-Soudani called in a press release on the security forces to show “ vigilance, to carefully inspect the roads and to give no chance to terrorist elements “.
A financial system that allows IS to survive
In mid-December, three soldiers were killed and three injured when a bomb exploded as their patrol vehicle passed through the orchards of Tarmiya, a rural municipality about thirty kilometers north of the capital Baghdad. Despite being routed, IS maintained his ability to launch attacks at a steady pace “, acknowledged in January 2022 a UN report devoted to the danger posed by IS.
Exploiting the porous border between Iraq and Syria, the jihadist organization would retain ” between 6,000 and 10,000 fighters in these two countries, mainly concentrated in rural areas, mainly Iraqi and Syrian nationals “, underlined the last edition of this report, published in the summer of 2022.
The group’s financial reserves would amount to around 25 million dollars, some even estimating that these funds, kept mainly in Iraq, could amount to up to 50 million dollars, according to the same source. The expenses of the jihadists, however, exceed their income, assures the report. “ Sources of income include extortion, kidnapping for ransom, receipt of religious alms, direct donations, and income from trade and investment “, according to the same source.
” These various sources of income have contributed to establishing a financial system that allows the group to adapt and maintain itself, in various conditions. “, underlines the UN report.
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(With AFP)