Iraq launches offensive to retake Hawija from 'IS'
September 21, 2017
Iraq has launched a major operation to retake Hawija, one of the last "Islamic State" strongholds in the country. Plans to oust the militants have been complicated by a referendum on Kurdish independence due next week.
Image: Reuters/T. Al-Sudani
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Iraqi forces launched an offensive at the crack of dawn on Thursday to win back the town of Hawija, an IS bastion near the oil city of Kirkuk.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the latest offensive and predicted another victory against the depleted militant group.
"At the dawn of a new day, we announce the launch of the first stage of the liberation of Hawija, in accordance with our commitment to our people to liberate all Iraqi territory and eradicate Daesh's terrorist groups," Abadi said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.
What is the 'Islamic State'?
IS has gone from an obscure al-Qaida splinter group to a global phenomenon. DW takes a look at the defining aspects of the jihadi group — from its "caliphate" to its tactics.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Al-Furqan
Where did it come from?
The "Islamic State" (IS) — also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh — is an al-Qaida splinter group with a militant Sunni Islamist ideology. It emerged in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their goal is to create a worldwide "caliphate." It gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 after a blitzkrieg military campaign that resulted in the capture of Mosul.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Where does it operate?
IS is believed to be operational in more than a dozen countries across the world. It controls territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria at the height of its expansion in 2014.
Who is fighting back?
The US leads an international coalition of more than 50 countries, including several Arab nations. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, which all support the Syrian government, also fight IS. Regional forces such as the Kurdish peshmerga (above) and US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, fight IS on the ground. The Iraqi army and militia have pushed IS from large parts of the country.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/H. Huseyin
How does it fund itself?
One of IS' main sources of income has been oil and gas. At one point, it controlled an estimated one-third of Syria's oil production. However, US-led airstrikes deliberately targeted oil resources and the Syrian government as well as US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters have retaken most oil wells. Other means of income include taxes, ransom, selling looted antiquities and extortion.
Image: Getty Images/J. Moore
Where does it carry out attacks?
IS has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. The militant group has targeted capitals across the EU, including Berlin, Brussels and Paris. IS leaders have encouraged so-called "lone wolf" attacks, whereby individuals who support IS carry out terrorist acts without the direct involvement of the group.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Spingler
What other tactics does it use?
The group uses various tactics to expand its power. IS fighters have looted and destroyed historical artifacts in Syria and Iraq in an attempt at "cultural cleansing." The group has also enslaved thousands of women from religious minority groups, including Yazidis. IS also uses a sophisticated social network to distribute propaganda and recruit sympathizers.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
How has it impacted the region?
IS has further exacerbated the ongoing Syrian conflict. Millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes, many traveling to Europe in pursuit of refuge. Although it has lost all of its strongholds, the militant group has left extraordinary destruction in its wake. Areas affected by the militant group's rule will likely take years to rebuild.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/D. Souleiman
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Hawija, 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Baghdad, and a stretch of land along the Syrian border, west of the Iraqi capital, are the last pockets of territory held by the self-styled Islamic State in the country.
Its territory, which it calls a "caliphate," has been shrinking fast in both Iraq and Syria over the past few months in the face of offensive launched by local forces backed by the US and Russia.
Iraqi forces declared victory over the extremists in Mosul in July and in the western town of Tal Afar the following month.
A US-led international coalition is providing air support to the Iraqi forces.
The Islamic State group "now faces the mighty [Iraqi security forces in] the last two areas where they hold any territory in Iraq," US-led coalition spokesman Col. Ryan Dillon said Thursday morning in a statement posted on Twitter.
Kurdish referendum
The offensive to retake Hawija comes just days ahead of a referendum on Kurdish independence due to be held in northern Iraq, including Kirkuk.
Hawija is part of the Kirkuk province, a disputed territory between the central government in Baghdad and the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region.
Tensions have risen in the area with Kurdish leaders pressing ahead with the September 25 referendum, which Abadi considers "anti-constitutional." The prime minister has called on the Kurdish leaders to cancel it, while the country's Supreme Court has ordered the suspension of the vote.
It wasn't clear it the referendum plans would be affected by the offensive on Hawija, which is likely to displace many residents.
The United Nations has said up to 85,000 people could be forced to flee the fighting.
