Ten IS members killed as paramilitary troops foil attack near Iraqi-Syrian borders

(IraqiNews.com) Ten Islamic State militants were killed as the Shia-led paramilitary troops thwarted an attack near the Iraqi-Syrian borders, the media service announced.

In a statement on Saturday, the media service of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) said, “troops of the first and 13th brigades confronted on Saturday an attack by IS militants near the Iraqi-Syrian borders.”

“Ten IS members were killed, while a vehicle was burnt as the troops foiled the attack,” the statement added.

In May, Hadi al-Amiri, head of Badr Organization, which works under the umbrella of the PMUs said troops reached to Iraqi-Syrian borders.

The target behind expanding the control of borders, according to PMUs officials, is to prevent infiltration of of IS militants from Syria to Iraq.

Previously, the troops liberated the remaining villages in the vicinity of Qairawan, a main Islamic State bastion which links between Tal Afar town and the Syrian borders, and Baaj, after the troops announced full liberation of Qairawan.

PMUs, an alliance of more than 60 mostly Shia militias, are recognized by the government as a national force under the Prime Minister’s command.

Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has recently vowed to keep the PMUs for several years and announced increase of their budget to raise the fighters’ wages.

The group has been actively engaged in the Iraqi government’s war against IS, and has recently claimed full control over Iraq’s borders with Syria, but has been operating only on ground with air support from the Iraqi army warplanes.