Iraqi army prepares for a new operation in Diyala

Iraqi forces killed 21 elements of ISIS, on Tuesday, in a military operation southwest of Iraq. Army Colonel Ahmed al-Shemari said troops foiled an IS attack against military sites in al-Nakhib region, southwest of Baghdad on Tuesday, leaving twenty-one IS members killed.

The clashes, which took place near the Iraqi-Syrian borders lasted for three hours, during which troops confiscated weapons and vehicles, Shemari said.

A security source said that a force from the army, under the supervision of the commander of the first division and officers of the pillar, began extensive searches in the desert northwest of Al Ratba, 310 km west of Ramadi, adding that the goal of the operation is to reduce extremist attacks of ISIS elements against Iraqi troops.

The source added that the army’s eighth division exploded a booby-trapped vehicles and explosives, west of Ramadi, and no casualties were reported.

The commander of the 110th brigade in the popular crowd, Amer Mahmoud al-Faily, said that a large-scale military operation launched in the areas of Marjana and Tabaj, 75 km northeast of Diyala, with the participation of the army and local police, pointing out that the process was of multiple axes.

"The operation is aimed at tracking down the terrorist cells ISIS and working to comb the areas completely, vowing to end any presence of extremist organizations and to promote internal stability," he added.

On the other hand, the head of the Independent High Electoral Commission for the referendum in Kurdistan region, Hendrin Mohammed, announced the arrival of an American team to Kurdistan at the end of July, to monitor the referendum on independence scheduled to be held on 25 September.

"This team is specialized in working in the field of elections and democratic organizations, and will monitor the process of referendums and elections and the procedures related to this regard," he said.

"Their positive report on the process will have an impact on the international recognition of the results of the process," Mohammedadded, stressing that the referendum process will be organized in accordance with international standards.

For his part, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Hoshyar Zebari, said that holding of the referendum on time is an existing option, indicating that the region does not take the consent of anyone, noting that the current time is more appropriate to hold the referendum.

The Kurdish parties held a meeting on 7 June 2017 in the resort of Salah al-Din in Erbil, led by the President of the Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani, amid the boycott of some political forces, and agreed to hold a referendum on the fate of the region on 25 September 2017.