SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi forces on Sunday launched the second phase of an operation against Islamic State (ISIS) remnants in south of Mosul, state news agency (INA) reported.
INA reported that the Iraqi military, police and Hashid al-Shaabi fighters launched an anti-ISIS operation at 06:00 a.m. on Sunday to inspect and secure areas in south of Mosul.
“The operation aims to clear, inspect and secure areas south of Mosul from remnants of ISIS terrorist group, and to secure power towers from sabotage acts,” INA quoted Hashid al-Shaabi as saying.
Dozens of transmission towers have been targeted by militant groups across Iraq in the past weeks.
Iraqi authorities accuse ISIS militants of targeting the country’s towers in several provinces.
The federal government announced victory over Islamic State by the end of 2017 after Iraqi and Kurdish forces backed by U.S.-led Coalition regained control of areas once captured by the militant group.
Despite its defeat, ISIS still poses a threat to the security and stability of the country as there are still sleeper cells in Iraq.
