The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Authority said that 11 of its members were killed in an attack launched by ISIS on its 22nd Brigade in Al-Aith Island, east of Salah Al-Din Governorate (north of Baghdad) late on Saturday evening.

The authority said that among the dead were the commander of the third regiment of Major General Abu Alia al-Husseinawi, and among the dead was also the deputy commander of the sixth regiment, in addition to 8 wounded.

The attack was carried out at night with light weapons, and it came two days after a twin bombing in Tayaran Square in the heart of Baghdad, killing 32 civilians and wounding more than 100 others, which was claimed by ISIS.

Following the attack on the crowd, Major General Yahya Rasul, spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in Iraq, pledged to avenge the killing of the crowd, indicating that retribution is coming inevitably from the perpetrators of the attack on the Popular Mobilization Forces in Salah al-Din Governorate.

Rasul added in a statement that the security forces, in all their formations, will not tolerate "terrorism."

He stressed that Iraq will remain resilient despite attempts to split its unity.

Our martyrs are the pride of Iraq and a title for those looking for heroism, as Jinan Road welcomes them while they are pigmented by their blood that paints the heroes' painting.


At a time when a guerrilla martyr, who was the heroic commander (Hussein Sa`idan Taat Abu Alia al-Husayni), blew the third regiment of the 22nd Brigade in the Popular Mobilization Forces and a group of his comrades.


1/3 pic.twitter.com/o9mzkTi1aj

Yahya Rasul |

Yehia Rasool (@IraqiSpoxMOD) January 23, 2021

An Iraqi security source told Anadolu Agency that the attack was launched by unidentified gunmen at security checkpoints in Salah al-Din Governorate, which - in addition to the 11 dead - injured 10 others, some of them severely.

He indicated that military and local police reinforcements arrived at the scene of the attack to evacuate the dead and wounded and search the surrounding area in search of the attackers.

In recent months, attacks by suspected ISIS militants have increased, particularly in the area between Kirkuk and Salah al-Din (north) and Diyala (east), known as the "Triangle of Death."

In 2017, Iraq declared victory over ISIS by regaining all of its territory, which was estimated at about a third of the country’s area invaded by the organization in the summer of 2014. However, the organization still maintains sleeper cells in large areas of Iraq and launches attacks between different periods.

Hussein confirmed that Iraq still needs external support to confront ISIS (Al-Jazeera)

External support

In the context of the threats facing Iraq from ISIS, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said that his country needs external support.

He stressed that he would ask the administration of the new US President Joe Biden to continue the strategic dialogue meetings between the two countries.

This comes after US President Donald Trump left the White House, who was planning to withdraw his forces from many places around the world, most notably Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hussein's statement came hours after the Iraqi Security Media Cell announced on Saturday that it had killed a number of ISIS militants in raids by the International Coalition planes on the organization's sites in Salah al-Din and Kirkuk provinces.

Baghdad International Airport was hit by 3 missiles late on Friday evening.