Iraqi Air Force F-16s during a training sortie on July 18, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chris Drzazgowski)
On September 10, F-16 fighter jets of the Iraqi Air Force (IQAF) attacked hideouts of ISIS cells in the eastern province of Diyala and the western province of al-Anbar.
In Diyala, two airstrikes destroyed a hideout of the terrorist group located on the bank of Lake Hamrin. Three terrorists were killed in the airstrike.
Later, a joint force of the Iraqi military and intelligence killed a fourth terrorist while conducting a search operation near the hideout. Three motorcycles, a number of improvised explosive devices and loads of explosive materials were also destroyed by the force.
Meanwhile in al-Anbar, a series of airstrikes wiped out an ISIS hideout in the area of al-Jalaiyat. Seven terrorists were killed as a result of the airstrikes.
One of the slain terrorists was identified as ISIS field commander Hammoud Hamada Ali Howish, who is also known as Abu Nihad.
ISIS cells have been very active in Iraq’s western, northern and eastern regions. The terrorists have carried out seven attacks against Iraqi service members and civilians since the beginning of September.
The recent successful airstrikes on ISIS hideouts highlights the growing capabilities of the IQAF. The air force intensified its combat operations against the terrorist group this year, inflicting heavy human and material losses on its cells. Despite of this, the group’s insurgency in Iraqi will not likely end any time soon.
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