Thread by @Charles_Lister

Make no mistake - the #ISIS problem is a long, long way from going away, in both #Syria & #Iraq.

Raids, ambushes, assassinations, IEDs, kidnappings, extortion/intimidation etc. It’s all continuing, while everyone proclaims “victory” and the fight [near] “over."

https://twitter.com/Charles_Lister/status/1012701114951700480

#ISIS is back to bombings, assassinations, kidnappings across #Diyala, #Kirkuk & Salah ad Din - in scenes eerily reminiscent of 2011-2014.

This has been building for weeks, but thanks @LizSly for bringing more attention - the fight is **far** from over.

wapo.st/2mrXJPQ?tid=ss…

@LizSly Former #Iraq-i National Security Advisor al-Rubaie:

- “There's going to be an imminent resurgence of #ISIS. You can see it in the records & the intelligence reports”

More deeply worrying reports, this time from @AbdoGeneive:

reuters.com/article/us-abd…

@LizSly @AbdoGeneive Cited in #pt, @hushamalhashimi says #ISIS has 4-pronged geographic strategy:

1. Hamrin Mountains (in control)

2. Samarra (fall back)

3. #Baghdad-#Damascus (kidnappings, bombings, trade disruption)

4. Desert bordering #Jordan/#Saudi/#Syria (strategic depth)

= Chaos/Resurgence

@LizSly @AbdoGeneive @hushamalhashimi Tribal figures in Salah ad Din call on #Baghdad to launch a major military operation against #ISIS in #Hawija - which they say, the jihadi group controls by night.

More & more of these calls recently, also from #Diyala, #Anbar & #Ninawa.

thebaghdadpost.com/ar/story/114582