Eurasia Press & News
The Popular Mobilization Forces announced the arrest of one of the elements of the “Islamic State” organization in Mosul, explaining that preliminary information indicates that the detainee infiltrated from Syrian territory to the Mosul desert.
The Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported at dawn on Tuesday, January 20, that “the security of the popular crowd, carried out a very important qualitative operation, which resulted in the arrest of a dangerous leader” of the elements of the organization “Islamic State.”
The detainee, according to the Popular Mobilization Forces, is one of the most prominent and dangerous field leaders in the organization, and is directly responsible for the organization’s detachments in the Mosul desert and the Syrian territories, where he supervised the planning and management of terrorist operations, and the organization of movements of sleeper cells in those areas.
The PMF said that “the operation is a painful security blow to the organization of the state, because it represents a careful intelligence breakthrough and a great security achievement, which enhances stability, and confirms the high readiness and advanced capabilities of the security of the popular crowd in the pursuit of the most dangerous terrorist leaders.”
Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari said on Monday, January 19, that the Iraqi border with Syria is fully secured, warning that any approach to the border will be met with the opening of fire.
The minister added in a statement to the agency “conscious”, “We are waiting and follow-up daily what is happening in Syria and we expected these events three years ago, and we conducted fortifications on the international border, especially with Syria, and we also dug a naughty trench with an area of 620 km along the border.”
“We have thermal cameras that work day and night at the border points,” he said, explaining that the military units on the border are sufficient and all are armed with tools and numbers, in addition to the presence of reserve pieces ready to intervene for any emergency.
He pointed out that “all security efforts on the Iraqi border are supported by the army and air force.”
Tension in Shaddadi
The Iraqi authorities did not say that the detainee who was arrested was among the prisoners of the organization fleeing from the prison of Shaddadi, which specifically guarantees the detainees of the organization “Daash” in particular.
On Monday, January 19, Enab Baladi’s correspondent in al-Hasakah monitored the withdrawal of the “Democratic Syrian Forces” (SDF) from the city of Shaddadi to the city of Hasaka, adding that a convoy from the international coalition accompanied the withdrawing forces.
The Syrian army announced its control over al-Shaddadi and imposed a curfew in the area, in search of elements of the “Islamic State” organization.
The SDF accused the release of a number of ISIS members from al-Shaddadi prison, pointing out that the army intervened to secure the city and the prison, and began combing operations in search of the elements who were released.
The Syrian Interior Ministry said it had arrested 81 ISIS operatives fleeing the prison, noting that the fleeing elements amounted to 120 elements, adding that efforts are continuing to prosecute the rest of the elements and take the necessary legal action against them.
The SDF said that the prison of “Al-Shaddadi” in Al-Hasakah, which includes prisoners from the “Islamic State” organization, is out of control, after being subjected to repeated attacks from the Syrian government.
In a statement issued on Monday, the SDF accused the international coalition base in the area, which is about two kilometers from the prison, of not interfering, despite repeated calls.
The SDF’s warnings about prisons housing thousands of ISIS operatives have been repeated in conjunction with the ongoing military operation against it in eastern Syria.
