IS Attacks Funeral

Earlier today, February 29, 2016, the Islamic State (IS) attacked a funeral held for a relative of a Shiite militia commander in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. A suicide bomber detonated his explosive killing at least 40 while wounding another 60. Among the dead are four commanders of Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), a Shiite militia group.

AAH has been combating IS since 2011. The Iranian-backed militia group has also been active in Syria where it has been aiding Hezbollah. AAH seeks to keep a Shiite and Iranian influence within Iraq and has been known to use violence in the past against Iraqi Sunnis for the Maliki government.

Today’s attack comes just a day after IS targeted a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad killing 72 and wounding another 112. A parked motorcycle detonated just outside a busy market followed by a suicide bomber detonating his vest while bystanders attended to victims of the first blast.

Iraqi Sunnis have expressed their desire to help fight IS, but recently Shiite militias have been targeting Sunni mosques and civilians at the risk of pushing Sunni citizens towards IS.

IS launched another attack yesterday targeting police and military forces in Abu Ghraib. IS was able to launch an assault on security forces positions after taking control of a grain silo in the area and firing upon security forces. All the IS fighters were killed in the assault, but the fighters were able to destroy a police station after detonating three car bombs. Six soldiers were killed and another 14 were wounded.

About two months ago IS lost one of their strongholds, Ramadi, to Iraqi forces. However, since losing Ramadi, IS has launched a number of attacks around Iraq proving they are far from defeated. Even worse, IS may be increasing the scope of damage they seek to achieve. An Iraqi explosive expert mentioned to news sources that the explosive used at the Baghdad market were the largest he has seen IS use.

Amid these increased attacks, the U.S. may be sending some extra help to combat IS. The initial increase in commitment to Iraq came in the form of military contractors. IBTimes reports that the number of contractors hired by the Pentagon has gone up eightfold. In just a year the number of contractors within Iraq grew from 250 to 2,300. This number just represents those hired by the Pentagon. There are thousands more contractors within Iraq, with around 5,800 being hired by the state Department alone.

Besides contractors, the U.S. military may be prepared to have elite Special Forces operators from the army’s Delta Force target IS leadership in Iraq. An anonymous source mentions the group had been in Iraq for several weeks setting up covert preparations. Some of these preparations include setting up safe houses, establishing informant networks and coordinating operations with Iraqi and Peshmerga units.

IS may have been dealt a setback after the loss of Ramadi, but they are far from being defeated. The group has illustrated the scope of their reach by launching attacks well beyond their areas of control, and it is unclear if taking back territory will necessarily slow them down. With the potential increased support from the U.S. military, it may be possible to hinder IS operations, but Iraqi and U.S. forces should be prepared for a long fight.