The US Ambassador to Baghdad, Alina Romanowski, stated that the terrorist organization “ISIS” still poses a threat in Iraq.
Romanowski added – in statements reported by the US channel “Alhurra” on Sunday evening – that the military coalition led by the United States with Iraq to defeat the organization completely has not ended yet.
She continued that the attack carried out by the ISIS terrorist organization in Russia reminds of the necessity to defeat the organization everywhere.
The US has nearly 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the International Coalition, established in 2014 to combat ISIS.
The Coalition’s current role involves advising and supporting Iraqi forces to prevent the resurgence of the terror group.
Since mid-October, US and Coalition forces in Iraq and Syria have faced over 165 attacks, reflecting the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas.
Most of these attacks were claimed by the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” comprising fighters from Iran-aligned factions, asserting their actions as solidarity with Gaza and opposition to US support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas.
Since ISIS’s territorial defeat in 2017, Iraq has faced significant challenges, including a massive internally displaced persons (IDP) crisis and the legitimization of militias adopting the Hezbollah model in Lebanon. Despite the official victory, over a million IDPs remained in camps as of August 2018, with many unable to return home due to destruction and ongoing ethnic and sectarian tensions. Furthermore, the political landscape has shifted, with militias gaining both de facto power and political representation, significantly influencing Iraq’s security and political dynamics.
The Islamic State insurgency in Iraq, ongoing since 2017, continues as a low-intensity conflict following ISIS’s loss of territorial control. The insurgency involves ISIL’s armed opposition against the Shia-led Iraqi government, alongside other insurgent groups like the White Flags, composed of former ISIL members and Kurdish rebels. These groups employ guerrilla tactics against government forces, maintaining a presence in areas like the Kirkuk Governorate.
