ISIL Sustains Another Defeat in Clashes with Iraqi Popular Forces at Border with Syria

The Iraqi commander said that his forces fended off ISIL’s heavy attack after hours of non-stop clashes with the terrorist group in three flanks North of Tal Safouk towards the border with Syria.

The commander further added that 20 ISIL terrorists were killed, and 8 more were wounded in clashes with Hashd al-Shaabi.

The PMF announced earlier today that more than twenty ISIL militants were killed and wounded on shared borders between Iraq and Syria.

“The first and third brigades repulsed an attack launched by ISIL militants from three directions toward the Iraqi-Syrian borders in North of Tal Sufuk region,” the media service of Hashd al-Shaabi said in a statement, Iraqi News reported.

 “The troops killed twenty militants and injured eight others of the attackers, while four of their vehicles were burnt,” the statement added.

Badr Organization, which operates under the umbrella of the PMF, announced earlier this year reaching to Iraqi-Syrian borders.

PMF, an alliance of more than 60 groups, is recognized by the Iraqi government as a national force under the Prime Minister’s command. The troops has been actively engaged in the government’s campaign against the ISIL that ran since mid-October, during which more than 25000 militants were killed. The troops contributed to the campaign by regaining control over ISIL holdouts near the Syrian borders.

Despite declaring the victory over ISIL in Mosul in July, observers say ISIL is believed to constitute a security threat even after the group’s defeat at its main havens across Iraqi provinces.