BAGHDAD (Dispatches) – Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) forces, also known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, affiliated with the Iraqi military launched a large-scale operation on Sunday to hunt down Daesh terrorists in eastern Iraq, reported Anadolu Agency.
In a statement, the Hashd al-Sha’abi popular forces said the operation targets Daesh terrorists in the Hamrin Mountains in the eastern Diaal province.
The pro-government militia said the military operation aims to eliminate Daesh presence in the area and end militant attacks against security forces and civilians.
Daesh terrorists have in recent months escalated their attacks, especially in the area between Kirkuk, Salahuddin, and Diyala.
In 2017, Iraq declared victory over Daesh by reclaiming all territories the terrorist group controlled since the summer of 2014, which was estimated to be about a third of the country’s territory.
The group, however, still maintains sleeper cells in large areas in Iraq and occasionally launches sporadic attacks.
Earlier this month, Iraq announced the end of the combat mission of the U.S.-led forces.
On Sunday, the Fatah (Conquest) Alliance in the Iraqi Parliament called for a meaningful withdrawal of American forces from Iraqi soil, saying the political party is opposed to the presence of American soldiers in the Arab country under any pretext.
Hadi al-Ameri, the head of the political coalition, said that the withdrawal of all American combat forces from Iraq was “a goal that cannot be negotiated,” Shafaq news agency reported.
He rejected as unacceptable the stay of American soldiers in Iraq under the guise of training or advisory missions and said, “Our sovereignty is a red line.”
“My message is clear to the U.S. forces and the Iraqi government,” he said. “You should implement what was agreed. We do not accept any manipulation, fraud, or changes to missions,” he added.
“If the U.S. forces choose to remain in Iraq, they must bear the consequences of this wrong decision… We do not tolerate even one foreign soldier, neither at Ain al-Assad base nor in al-Harir, neither for training nor for [giving] advice.”
Ameri said if the Iraqi government needed military trainers and advisers, it must devise a contract that clarifies their “whereabouts, numbers, and tasks.”
American occupation troops are required to leave Iraq under a resolution passed by the Arab country’s parliament on January 5, 2020.