Iraq launches ‘Desert Lions’ offensive against ISIS sleeper cells

Fighters from Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, began a major operation against Daesh in Anbar on Monday, managing to kill and injure dozens of terrorists in the western province.

According to Iraqi security sources, the area of Haditha, which lies about 130 kilometers southwest of Baiji, in Anbar province, was the place from which the operation took place.

On the first day of the assault, a number of Daesh militants, including three ringleaders, were killed in the area of Madham in the province, the sources added.

An armored vehicle belonging to the terror group was also destroyed by the popular forces in the same areas, they said.

Daesh has intensified its attacks in Iraq amid Baghdad’s call on the US to pull out its forces from the Arab country.

In a vote on January 5, the Iraqi parliament called for an end to the presence of all foreign troops, including Americans.

The vote came two days after the US military – acting on US President Donald Trump’s order – launched a fatal drone strike on senior Iranian anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani upon his arrival in the Iraqi capital at the invitation of the Baghdad government.

The attack also claimed the lives of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of the PMU, and eight other Iranian and Iraqi people.

Washington has threatened sanctions should US troops be expelled instead of heeding the Iraqi parliament’s call to end the occupation of the country.