PEREGRAF
Attacks by Islamic State (ISIS) militants in parts of Syria and Iraq over the last several days have renewed concerns about the ability of the group to launch attacks despite the loss of its territorial caliphate nearly three years ago.
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday (January 23) “expressed concerns with the increased number of ISIS terrorist attacks and stressed the importance of strengthening the Kurdistan Region’s defenses and security capabilities,” according to a statement from the KRG.
Barzani made the reported remark during a meeting with KRG Minister for Peshmerga Affairs Shorsh Ismail and KRG Minister of Interior Rebar Ahmed following a prisonbreak by ISIS militants in al-Hasakah in Kurdish-controlled northeastern Syria and an attack on the Iraqi army in Diyala governorate.
The KRG statement added that Barzani also “called for greater coordination between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi forces, as well as the Global Coalition, to tackle these threats.”
On the night of January 20, ISIS militants attempted to free thousands of detainees from the group held at the Ghuwayran Prison in al-Hasakah City, one of the most serious security incidents since the group’s hold on Syrian territory was broken in early 2019.
The prison is guarded by the Kurdish-led Syrian Defense Forces (SDF), a critical partner of the United States and the Global Coalition.
The SDF has repeatedly warned about the challenges it faces trying to run the prisons and camps in its territory that hold tens of thousands of ISIS fighters and their families and that it urgently requires additional support from its partners, including the repatriation of foreign fighters.
Since the initial attack on the prison, at least 17 SDF fighters have been killed while trying to retake the facility and secure the prisoners. US forces have conducted airstrikes to support the effort.
At least 70 ISIS fighters have been killed by the SDF and another 89 recaptured after escaping, according to Reuters.
"Today, our forces faced several terrorist groups whose identities are still unknown and have tried to break the siege of ISIS terrorists in the northern part of Ghuwayran prison," the SDFMedia Center said on Sunday.
Separately, ISIS militants attacked an Iraqi army barracks in the early hours of January 21, killing 11 soldiers.
Just south of areas controlled by the KRG, Diyala has been the site of numerous ISIS attacks over the past several years, with sleeper cells conducting operations against both civilian and military targets.
Together, the two attacks highlight the continued potency of the militant group and its ability to launch deadly and complex attacks against targets in both Syria and Iraq.
Leaders on both sides of the border have stressed that more needs to be done to combat the group, which also launched several deadly attacks against the Peshmerga so far this winter.