27 Iraqi Government-Backed Militias Killed in ISIS Raid

Two months after the Iraqi government declared final victory over the Islamic State group, ISIS militants killed 27 members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), known as Hashd al-Shaabi, in a raid. The PMF, mostly composed of Shia militias, stated that the attack occurred on Monday, February 19, southwest of Kirkuk. Reports indicate that the attackers wore military uniforms of Iraqi government forces and set up a fake checkpoint, pretending to control the road. The attack lasted nearly two hours, resulting in several attackers being killed while others fled. The exact number of casualties or fleeing Islamic State militants has not been disclosed. Yahya Rasool, spokesman for the Iraqi military, attributed the attack to semi-active ISIS cells and stated that a search for the perpetrators is ongoing. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement released by the Amaq news agency. In response, Karim al-Nouri, spokesman for the PMF, described the attack as a 'heinous crime' and called for increased security in areas liberated from ISIS. Hadi al-Amiri, commander of the Badr forces, also announced that they would take 'revenge' on ISIS forces. He stated at Baghdad airport, while the bodies of the deceased were being returned, that 'security forces must remain vigilant, and the war against terrorism is not over yet.' Among the deceased, 11 were residents of Basra, prompting a three-day public mourning period in the city. The Iraqi government declared complete victory over ISIS last December after three years of heavy fighting. However, the group continues to carry out sporadic attacks, including two suicide bombings last month in central Baghdad that killed 38 people. On Saturday, Dan Coats, the director of the U.S. National Intelligence Agency, likened defeating ISIS to killing an octopus, stating that despite recent defeats in Syria and Iraq, ISIS remains a threat.