Al-Miqdadiyah, Iraq —

Iraqi forces killed 10 jihadists in an operation against remnants of the Islamic State group in a vast desert area northwest of Baghdad, authorities said on Sunday.

An Iraqi security source told AFP the operation was a “pre-emptive measure” aimed at thwarting attacks allegedly planned for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins in the coming days.

The military said in a statement that troops “killed 10 terrorists in the past 24 hours.”

The operation, launched on Saturday in several provinces in northern and central Iraq, involves regular troops and Hashed al-Shaabi, mainly pro-Iranian former paramilitaries now integrated into the Iraqi armed forces. force.

State media reported that four jihadists were killed on Sunday in the Wadi Tatar region between Salahuddin and Anbar provinces, and six on Saturday.

In 2014, the jihadist group occupied large areas of Iraq and neighboring Syria, declared the establishment of a “caliphate” and launched a reign of terror.

It was defeated in Iraq in 2017 by Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led military coalition, and in 2019 its last territory in Syria was lost to U.S.-backed Kurdish forces.

But its remnants continue to conduct deadly hit-and-run raids and ambushes, particularly from remote areas and desert hideouts.

The United Nations said in a report released in January that IS had “3,000 to 5,000 fighters” in Iraq and Syria.

“Iraqi forces successfully targeted operatives and disrupted sleeper cells,” the report said.

“But the group persists in carrying out regular attacks and replenishing its leadership.”

The United States and Iraq began talks last month on the future of the U.S.-led coalition after Baghdad demanded a timetable for ending its mission in Iraq.

Iraqi officials insist that the Islamic State no longer poses a significant threat and that its military and security forces are capable of defeating its remaining forces.