ISIS cells and Iranian militias: Dilemma facing Iraqi security

Iranian militias and ISIS terrorist cells represent a threat to security in Iraq, as armed groups continue their operations by targeting the bases of US forces from time to time, coinciding with the second anniversary of the killing of late Quds Force commander General Qassem Soleimani. On the other hand, the growth of ISIS cells is increasing despite the weakening of the terrorist organization’s capabilities at the end of 2017, when its official defeat in Iraq was announced.

For his part, US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby, expressed his country's concern about the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, stressing that his country's mission remains to coordinate with the Baghdad government.

The statements of the Pentagon spokesman came after the US-led international military coalition announced that the Iraqi air defenses had shot down two rigged drones as they approached the Ain al-Asad air base west of Baghdad, which hosts US forces.

Despite the announcement of the end of ISIS and its elimination at the end of 2017, it re-emerged to threaten the security system in Iraq despite the successive strikes against it. The crime of beheading the director of Adhamiya passport department in Baghdad, Colonel Yasser al-Jourani, at the hands of ISIS is still causing popular anger in Iraq. Social media users demanded that this incident not go unnoticed and to make it an occasion to put an end to the signs of the return of the ISIS threat and the escalation of its terrorist operations in Iraq.

For his part, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi called for intensifying the intelligence effort to eliminate ISIS after the organization broadcast a video clip of the killing of an Iraqi officer.

The terrorist organization published a video clip showing the beheading of an officer in the Iraqi Ministry of Interior after he and three of his friends were kidnapped a week ago in Diyala in the east of the country when they were on a hunting trip at Lake Hamrin near the Khanaqin district.

Security experts in London noted that the Iraqi government’s estimates confirm the presence of about 3,500 ISIS members in Iraq and perhaps 4,000 in Syria, and that ISIS can no longer carry out major operations but only operations of a limited quality, mostly carried out by small mobile groups of usually no more than 10 people.

Peter Neumann, a professor of security studies at King’s College in London, believes that there is no reason to stop warnings about the terrorist organization, because in other places, for example in Europe, it is still active, although it has changed its methods. In fact, it is not ready at the present time for major operations, nor is it able to count on members who are militarily composed and have tangible fighting experience as it was five years ago.