Islamic State’s war council in Diyala completely destroyed — police chief
Paramilitary fighters and military vehicles are seen during a military operation to retake positions held by Islamic State militants, on the outskirts of Muqdadiyah in Diyala province, north of Baghdad January 25, 2015. Picture taken January 25, 2015. REUTERS
Diyala (IraqiNews.com) – The Islamic State’s so-called War Council was completely destroyed in the Iraqi province of Diyala, a senior police officer said on Saturday.
“Islamic State suffered heavy losses in 2018 and most of its military commanders who were members of the so-called War Council were killed during military operations in Diyala,” Faisal al-Abadi, chief of Diyala’s provincial police, told Iraqi website Baghdad Today.
“The Islamic State’s War Council was completely destroyed in Diyala,” Abadi stressed.
He added that security measures were intensified in Diyala province in search of dormant IS militants, who are hiding in remote areas.
In January 2015, Iraqi forces announced liberation of Diyala province from Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
The province has seen months of fighting between Iraqi troops and IS militants especially in the Jalawla and Saadiyah areas in the province’s north and areas near the town of Muqdadiyah.
Last year, outgoing prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared final victory over Islamic State three years after the militant group captured about a third of Iraq’s territory.