Diyala ramps up security in al-Abbara, first phase completed-official

Shafaq News/ Diyala has completed the first phase of the plan devised to secure the villages of al-Abbara, northeast Baqubah, Diyala's capital city, al-Abbara administrator Shaker Mazen al-Tamimi said on Thursday.

In a statement to Shafaq News Agency, al-Tamimi said, "the security authorities installed thermographic surveillance cameras in twelve villages on the outskirts of the sub-district to detect the movements of ISIS militants and help abort their attacks."

"The first phase of the comprehensive security plan has been completed. This phase covers 15 kilometers. Further phases are underway to deter their hit-and-run attacks," he continued, "blitz and hit-and-run attacks have become their last desperate weapon."