Shafaq News / In a recent revelation, a military leader in the Peshmerga forces disclosed clandestine plans by ISIS in the border regions between the Kurdistan Region (KRI) and the outskirts of Diyala and Saladin governorates.

Brigadier Jamal Warani, the commander of Brigade 731, Second Axis of the Peshmerga (Karatepe - Khanaqin), informed Shafaq News Agency that ISIS militants are moving through security vacuums between the borders of KRI and the outskirts of eastern Saladin and the Hamreen Basin in Diyala. They employ noiseless motorbikes to evade security pursuit.

He explained that ISIS members are maneuvering within the unguarded areas, stretching from the outskirts of Hamreen, the borders of Khanaqin, eastern Saladin, and the areas of the three villages of Balakana, Shawra, and Gura. The rugged terrains in these regions and the inaccessibility by vehicles make them difficult for security forces to reach.

Warani confirmed that the Peshmerga areas are free of ISIS, except for the security vacuums shared between federal and Peshmerga forces. He noted that security forces are continuing to monitor ISIS hideouts and movements and are addressing them with airstrikes and airborne operations.

The vacant areas, often referred to as "death gaps," between the Peshmerga and federal forces serve as strongholds and hideouts for ISIS in regions extending from the outskirts of Khanaqin in Diyala to KRI’s areas in Kirkuk and Nineveh.