Makhmour attack: Arab Countries and the express solidarity with Iraq

Shafaq News/ The US Department of State released a press statement concerning the last ISIS attacks in Iraq.

"The United States is deeply concerned by the continued escalation of ISIS attacks throughout Iraq, including the attack yesterday in Makhmour district that took the lives of 10 Peshmerga and three civilians." The statement said.

"We offer our condolences to the families of those killed and injured in these attacks. The United States reaffirms our commitment to supporting the Iraqi Security Forces, including the Peshmerga, as they continue the fight against ISIS to ensure its enduring defeat." It added.

For its part, the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack, stressing the country's solidarity with Iraq and its support in combating terrorism "to preserve its security and stability."

In turn, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry expressed in a statement its "full" solidarity and support for Iraq and the measures it takes to protect its security and stability.

In addition, Qatar and Jordan condemned the attack, stressing their solidarity with Iraq.

On Friday, ISIS militants had attacked a village in northern Iraq killed three villagers and ten Peshmerga.

The attack took place in the Makhmour region, a hotbed for the terrorist organization carrying regular attacks against Iraqi and Kurdish forces and civilians.

Makhmour is a mountainous area about 70 km southeast of Mosul and 60 km (40 miles) southwest Erbil.

Kurdistan's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani called for greater security cooperation between Iraqi Kurdish and Iraqi security forces to stop ISIS operations.

Iraqi officials and analysts have long said that ISIS exploits the lack of coordination between Baghdad and Erbil in the disputed areas to wage deadly attacks.

In 2017, Iraq declared final victory over ISIS after Iraqi forces drove its last remnants from the country, three years after the militant group captured about a third of Iraq's territory.

The war has had a devastating impact on the areas previously controlled by the militants. About 3.2 million people remain displaced.

Yet, ISIS still has sleeper cells in several Iraqi Governorates.

Recently, the terrorist organization has become more active, as sleeper cells target civilians, security forces, power transmission lines, and towers in several governorates.

The Iraqi forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces launched various operations against ISIS in different locations, which led to the killing and the arrest of many members.