Key Takeaways:
– US and Iraqi forces successfully eliminated key ISIS personnel in a joint operation on August 29.
– The operation also netted an array of tactical resources including weapons, computers and explosive belts.
– Despite previous defeats, ISIS sleeper cell attacks have seen an increase in activity in recent years.
On August 29, US Central Command, in alliance with Iraqi forces and local air forces, launched a successful operation against top-ranking figures of the Islamic State group (ISIS) in Anbar, Iraq’s Western province. This join operation resulted in the reported elimination of several high-profile militants belonging to the ISIS terrorist organization. Notably, the operation succeeded in killing a senior ISIS commander who was wanted by the United States.
Operation Takes Down Senior ISIS Commanders
Among the militants eliminated in this operation was the notorious Abu Ali Al-Tunisi. Hailing from Tunisia, Al-Tunisi held a significant rank among the ISIS leadership. The US Treasury Department had previously placed a bounty of $5 million for information leading to Al-Tunisi due to his significance. Furthermore, another high-priority target, Ahmad Hamed Zwein, the ISIS Deputy Commander in Iraq, was also killed during the operation.
The US Central Command, in its official statement, also named two other ISIS leaders who had been neutralized; Ahmad Hamid Husayn Abd-al-Jalil al-Ithawi and Shakir Abud Ahmad al-Issawi. Al-Ithawi was held accountable for all ISIS operations within Iraq, and Al-Issawi managed military operations in western Iraq.
Operation Yield and Consequences
This joint operation, while strategically significant, also brought about a level of casualties. Seven American troops were wounded during the mission, with five injured directly from the raid and two suffering from falls during the operation. One of the troops was evacuated for further medical treatment.
Apart from the human toll, the operation also led to the seizure of a significant trove of weapons and tactical resources from the militants. These included computers, smartphones, and ten explosive belts which could have been potentially used in future attacks.
An Ongoing Fight Against ISIS
ISIS, at the height of its power in 2014, had established a caliphate spanning large parts of Iraq and Syria. However, the organization drastically lost its control and influence by 2017 in Iraq and 2019 in Syria. Despite these losses, the group still manages to conduct sporadic attacks. These attacks are generally believed to originate from scattered sleeper cell factions of the group, which have been reported to increase their activities in recent years.
As part of ongoing counter-terrorism strategies, the US Central Command reported a strike on an ISIS attack cell member in eastern Syria on Friday. The targeted individual was reportedly in the act of planting a bomb for an intended attack on anti-ISIS coalition forces.
The Status of US Troops in Iraq
There are currently about 2,500 US troops in Iraq involved in combatting ISIS alongside local forces. In August last year, talks were initiated to transition these forces from their existing role. The future status of these troops is expected to change considering the evolving security scenario on ground as well as the capabilities of the Iraqi forces.