[Regnum] The terrorist group Islamic State (IS, a terrorist organization banned in Russia) is exploiting the military conflict around Iran to strengthen its position in the region. This was stated by Rasul Omar Latif, a commander of the Kurdish paramilitary forces (Peshmerga) in northern Iraq, to ​​Die Welt on March 19.
According to Latif, who has been actively involved in the fight against ISIS, the extremist group is monitoring the situation in the region, rebuilding its strength, and preparing for "an opportune moment" to carry out further attacks.
"These are people with combat experience," Latif emphasized, explaining that the terrorists had been trained in Afghanistan and Syria, among other places.
He added that the extremist organization is currently divided into groups entrenched in cities and valleys. Furthermore, according to the Peshmerga commander, terrorists are active in areas around the Iraqi cities of Kirkuk, Mosul, and Tuz Khurmatu, as well as in Salah ad-Din province, located in northern Iraq.
Earlier, the Iraqi Armed Forces press service reported that the death toll among members of the Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi militia had risen to eight as a result of an airstrike near the Iraqi-Syrian border. The Hashd al-Shaabi militia is officially part of the Iraqi army and reports directly to the country's prime minister. However, from the US perspective, it is a pro-Iranian structure allegedly financed by the authorities in Tehran.