Islamic State in Northern Iraq Weakened but Still Dangerous, Say Militia Commanders
In an exclusive interview with The Media Line, commanders from the Popular Mobilization Forces say Islamic State is still carrying out attacks, while an expert says the West must engage with the PMF or risk missing developments
[Northern Iraq] Islamic State’s operational capacities have been severely diminished since the extremist group’s so-called caliphate collapsed in 2017, but it still can carry out terrorist attacks, several commanders of one of the militias fighting the group in northern Iraq said in an exclusive interview with The Media Line.
A 38-year-old commander using the pseudonym Maj. Gen. Abu Ashur said that Islamic State’s tactics had changed significantly since the 2017 liberation of Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, by the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces, and the Popular Mobilization Forces. Abu Ashur belongs to the PMF, a state-sponsored, mostly Shia Muslim umbrella organization of some 67 armed factions, some of which pledge allegiance to Iran and are considered terrorist groups by several countries, including the United States.
PHOTO – The scars of war against Islamic State remain, especially near Mosul. Here, in Bartella, a small town, many buildings have yet to be rebuilt in 2023. (Owen Holdaway/The Media Line)