Iraqi gov’t-backed tribal forces attacked by IS drone

BAGHDAD, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) — The extremist Islamic State (IS) militant group carried out a drone attack on a military base of a local tribal force affiliated with the Iraqi Hashd Shaabi paramilitary forces in Iraq’s western province of Anbar, security sources said Wednesday.
The attack occurred on Tuesday night when the drone bombed the base which houses the Sunni tribal fighters in a desert area, a security source in Anbar told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Mandol al-Jaghifi, leader of the tribal force, said in a statement that IS militants fired a drone equipped with hand grenades on his fighters’ base in the Anbar desert without causing casualties.
The security situation in Iraq has improved since the defeat of the IS in 2017. However, IS remnants have sneaked into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. ■