IS Moves Forces from Mosul to Hawija to Threaten Stability of Kirkuk: Police

After the Islamic State (IS) faced significant defeat in Mosul, the extremist organisation has moved part of its forces to its stronghold of Hawija in the southwestern Kirkuk province, in a bid to pose further threat to the security of the Kurdish areas outside the Kurdistan Region’s administration, an official from Kirkuk police told BasNews on Saturday.

Sarhad Qadir, chief of police for the districts around Kirkuk, said IS has moved a number of its forces to Hawija city, the group’s last stronghold in southwestern Kirkuk, adding that “according to our information obtained from our exclusive sources, IS is planning to threaten the stability of Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu.”

He noted that IS militants are using all their capacity to perpetrate terrorist attacks and to raise their morale after it has been significantly weakened.

However, the security forces and Peshmerga have plans to foil the IS plots, he added.

IS militants have been periodically carrying out attacks against Peshmerga and Security forces in Kikruk and Tuz Khurmatu. However, all their offensives were warded off by Kurdish forces.


https://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/...rdistan/355032