Pro-Iranian militias back ISIS in Iraq
The international coalition against the ISIS terrorist group has said that it has regrouped in Iraq’s Diyala province and areas in eastern Syria.
Colonel Dave Williams, commander of the Joint Coordination Center of the International Coalition, blamed Iranian-backed militias who are tightening the noose on the population.
Colonel Dave Williams said on Saturday that ISIS is working to organize itself in Diyala, and outlaw militias are harassing the population against the Sunnis and pushing them to join the group.
The militia’s ongoing attacks against US forces have distracted the group from its core mission in Iraq, which is fighting ISIS, he said.
Sectarian harassment of Iraq’s Sunni youth is driving many to join ISIS, he said.
He also stressed in a statement to Kurdish media that the militia does not solve any problems, but rather makes the situation more complicated.
He pointed out that the threats and attacks of the militias, which are trying to push the US forces to withdraw from Iraq, are useless, referring to the repeated attacks that are targeting US bases in the country.
Williams said that ISIS is still a major threat, adding that the international coalition is trying to eliminate it, while outlaw militias are creating many problems in this regard.
