Islamic State militants die booby-trapping donkey in Kirkuk

Eight members of ISIS extremist group were killed and eight others were injured when they detonated explosives in order to use them to attack security forces in the southwest of the province. Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi discussed with the commander of Central American Central Command, General Joseph Fotel and his accompanying delegation the war on terror and the process of liberating the entire Iraqi territory.

Eight Islamic State militants were killed and wounded when explosives they were fitting to a donkey exploded in Kirkuk, a security source was quoted saying. The source told Alsumaria News that eight militants were putting an explosives vest on a donkey at al-Rashad region, 40 kilometers southwest of Kirkuk, preparing to send it to security deployments in Hamreen mountains.

The boobytrap exploded prematurely, however, killing three and wounding five, according to the source who said the new technique aims at avoiding strikes by Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition warplanes. Islamic State militants have held areas in southwestern Kirkuk since 2014, when they declared a “caliphate” rule on a third of Iraq and Syria.

Local tribal leaders and politicians from Kirkuk have mounted pressure on the Iraqi government to hasten with invading Hawija, suggesting that its people were experiencing a humanitarian crisis under the group’s rule as the group continues to massacre civilians attempting to flee the town. The government and military commanders have set Nineveh’s town of Tal Afar as the next target for operations.

In the same context, Twelve Islamic State militants died Thursday when an underground tunnel they were using collapsed in the town of Tal Afar, west of Nineveh, a paramilitary leader said.

Speaking to Alsumaria News, Jabbar al-Maamouri, a commander at the Popular Mobilization Forces, said the militants scurried to the tunnel escaping an air strike. “The strike hit the tunnel’s opening, killing all inside, according to the information we have,” Maamouri stated.

The militants raised alert among members to extract the buried corpses, and did manage to the some out, he said, adding that the group had escalated the digging of tunnels which had usually been used as escape routes or for assaulting security forces.

Tal Afar is 65 kilometers west of Mosul, and is home to a mixed Turkmen and Arab population. Iraqi forces recaptured Mosul, Islamic State’s former capital, early July after more than eight months of U.S.-backed offensives.

Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi and his defense officials have marked Tal Afar as their next target of anti-Islamic State action. Iraqi defense officials said recently that warplanes were carrying out raids on the enclave in preparation for the ground invasion which is yet to be scheduled.

Tal Afar has reportedly seen divisions among Islamic State leaderships, with occasional news telling of power conflicts and dissents among leaders, as well as attempts by some militants to flee the anticipated battle field.

Since Iraqi forces launched a wide-scale campaign to retake Mosul in 2016, paramilitary troops managed to isolate the town from the Syrian borders and from the rest of Nineveh.

On the political side, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Thursday discussed with the commander of the US Central Central Command the process of liberating the city of Mosul.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said that Abbadi received in his office Thursday the commander of the Central American Central Command General Joseph Fotil and his accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they discussed the progress of the liberation of Mosul and the victories achieved and the arming and training of our armed forces. To the situation in the region. "

General Voetel reiterated his country's support for Iraq in the fight against terrorism, praising "the progress and development of Iraqi forces and the achievement of victories over terrorist gangs."