Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Kurds Warn of Growing Islamic State Capabilities in Iraq

Namo Abdulla

   WASHINGTON - The recent killing of Islamic State's top leader in Iraq
   should not be seen as a crippling sign for the terror group, which has
   in recent months received fresh recruits and increased its attacks in
   the country, says a senior Iraqi Kurdish military official.

   U.S. officials have confirmed that a U.S.-led coalition airstrike
   eliminated Jabbar Salman Ali Farhan al-Issawi, known as Abu Yasser,
   last week near the Iraqi province of Kirkuk.'¯Abu Yasser reportedly had
   been leading the IS insurgency in Iraq since 2017.'¯

   Despite Abu Yasser's death, Sarbast Lazgin, deputy minister of Iraqi
   Kurdish peshmerga forces, says the terror group has increased its
   activities while Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)
   have yet to come to an effective joint mechanism on how to govern
   so-called disputed areas. Kirkuk is also considered part of the
   disputed territories between Baghdad and the KRG.

   In a phone interview with VOA, Lazgin said the jihadists are already
   exploiting a "security vacuum" in those areas.'¯

   "I don't want to say it will have no impact," he said, referring to Abu
   Yasser's death. "But experience has shown groups that can indoctrinate
   their members to a level where they are willing to blow themselves up,
   the demise of one person will not change much. It may have a temporary
   impact, but the group will soon find a new replacement."

   While noting that IS's current objectives are less ambitious than they
   were in 2014, Lazgin said the jihadi group recently has shown
   capabilities to mount more lethal and well-planned attacks.'¯'¯

   "They now carry out operations that are larger in scale," he said.
   "They now attack military outposts and units."'¯

.