Nearly 500 Islamic State terrorists are reorganizing in Hawija

Nearly 500 Islamic State militants are regrouping and reorganizing themselves in Hawija district of Kirkuk province, said a local official.

The city was one of the main strongholds of Islamic State when the group had its grip on a vast area in north and west of Iraq. It was liberated in a three-week operation in October 2017.

Ahmed Khurshid, a member of Hawija mayoral council, told BasNews that there are Islamic State jihadists and sympathizers in the area who are organizing terrorist activities now.

“Even in the past, Hawija was used by the Islamic State militants as a hotbed because the geography of the area allows them to hide,” Khurshid added.

The comment came after a significant increase in Islamic State activities across Kirkuk and Diyala provinces over the past few weeks.

A day earlier, two suicide bombers blew themselves up in Kirkuk outside Iraqi intelligence service directorate, wounding several people.

Source: Basnews