Prime minister hails unique experience of Iraqi troops in anti-terror fight
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi praised on Sunday efforts exerted by the Counter-Terrorism Service to maintain the homeland’s security and kick Islamic state terrorists out of the country.
The premier made the remarks during a visit to the headquarters of the Counter-Terrorism Service, where he listened to a detailed account of its work mechanism, Mawazin News quoted the anti-terror agency as saying in a statement.
During the visit, Abdul-Mahdi hailed the role played by the counter-terrorism troops during a fight against Islamic State.
He stressed that the Counter-Terrorism Service “has a unique experience among its peers in the Middle East countries in fighting terrorism.”
Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over five million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared the end of military operations against Islamic State in Iraq on December 9, 2017. On July 10 that year, the former premier had formally declared victory over Islamic State extremists in Mosul, which served as the terrorists’ main urban stronghold.