Three IS militants killed after argument over plunders in Anbar

Anbar (IraqiNews.com) Three Islamic State militants were killed on Wednesday after they had an argument over the fair way to share money plundered from civilians, according to a security source.

The trio had an argument over amounts of money they had stolen from commercial shops at the town of al-Qaem, which turned into a deadly armed fight at al-Malaab area, according to a source Anbar’s security operations.

IS cells in Qaem had used to steal money, electricity generators, civilians’ cars, building materials and even sheep and sell them to smugglers or transfer them to Syria to secure finances for the fighters, according to the source.

Islamic State has been holding a number of towns in western Anbar, close to the borders with Syria, since it emerged in 2014 to proclaim an “Islamic Caliphate” on Iraqi territory. Army and U.S.-led fighter aircraft have occasionally pounded the group’s locations at those regions.
No official security campaign has been declared by the government yet to recapture western Anbar towns as its forces have been busy since mid October struggling to retake Mosul, Islamic State’s biggest stronghold in the country. Anbar’s military command launched a brief offensive early January, which succeeded in recapturing a few villages before halting again.