Iraqi and American security officials say that territory in the north could easily be recaptured by ISIL despite Baghdad’s insistence that the extremists have been defeated.
In an attempt to repel a comeback, major military operations are being conducted near Mosul where towns risk falling back into insurgent hands.
Although victory was declared against ISIL in December, the group remains the world’s most active terror organisation by number of attacks.
An independent report on Thursday said such incidents are escalating even though terror deaths have declined.
The instability comes as the country's politicians squabble ahead of elections scheduled in May.
Illustrating the threat from ISIL, the northern city of Nimrud could "fall at any time because security is so fragile", according to paramilitary leaders.
Ali Al Bayati, commander of Hashed Al Shaabi, who fought alongside Iraqi troops in routing the extremists, said ISIL could easily recapture areas near the border with Syria.
“Fighters who have fled their former stronghold of Mosul and taken refuge to the west, in deserts toward the Syrian border, have launched attacks on security forces and civilians,” he said.
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Read more:
ISIL poses threat to Iraq one month after 'liberation'
Thirty-eight killed and more than 100 wounded in twin Baghdad bombings
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Officials say civilians have been killed and others robbed inside the city, some by assailants disguised as soldiers -- a long used hallmark of insurgent attacks since a US-led coalition toppled dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003.
“Geographically, the territory has been retaken... but not all the jihadists there have been arrested,” said Aed Al Louayzi, a lawmaker in Nineveh province.
Iraq faces a similar security situation which led to the swift fall of Mosul to ISIL in 2014, he said.
Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Centre, based in London, said Thursday that Iraq bears the brunt of insurgents' wrath.
ISIL killed 6,499 people in attacks last year , a 40 per cent fall compared with 2016, despite assaults rising nine per cent to 4,612, the report said.
Attacks have recently rocked the northern towns of Tal Afar and Hatra, both recaptured last year from the extremist group.
To eliminate a resurgence “several operations have been carried out south of Mosul" with US-led coalition support to seize arms, said US Army Colonel and coalition spokesman Ryan Dillon.
The Iraqi commander of military operations in Nineveh, General Najim Al Jubouri, said that "troops alongside the US-led coalition against ISIL are coordinating attacks against extremists."
Fighters have built up stockpiles of arms, fuel and food while hiding out in valleys and trenches in northern areas.
Michael Rubin, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, in Washington, said ISIL could exploit the country's political problems.
"They will seek to exploit local grievances and weak militaries. If prime minister Haider Al Abadi fails to provide economic opportunities in liberated areas, Iraq could face an increasing challenge," he told The National.
In Hawija, a northern city in the disputed oil-rich Kirkuk province, at least three civilians and a Hashed fighter have been killed this month, according to security sources.
They said around 60 extremists have died in fighting around the town, one of the last ISIL urban strongholds retaken by Iraqi forces.
Violence continues to hit Baghdad, where twin suicide bombings killed 38 people on Monday in what was declared the “deadliest attack” since Mr Al Abadi said ISIL had been beaten.
The bombings in the capital led him to order security forces to "eliminate ISIL sleeper cells" and protect civilians.
But the prime minister is embroiled in a difficult political balancing act.
Chaos emerged in parliament on Thursday as lawmakers failed to confirm May 12 as the election date. A law to ensure the vote also is yet to be passed.
Many MPs boycotted the chamber as they want the election postponed to allow millions of displaced people to return home and cast their ballots.
The American embassy in Baghdad appealed to Iraq's politicians to resolve their disputes.
"Postponing the elections would set a dangerous precedent, undermining the constitution and damaging Iraq’s long-term democratic development," the embassy said, criticising calls to delay the vote.
Mr Al Abadi is seeking a new term as the head of a “Victory Alliance” while Hashed Al Shaabi’s political bloc will stand separately. Both aim to gain seats in parliament, citing their role in combating ISIL.
The premier, who has vowed to rise above sectarian divisions by leading a mixed list of candidates in the polls, launched a new appeal Thursday for potential allies to join his alliance.
May's polls are the fourth parliamentary and provincial assembly elections since Saddam's ouster.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
The%20specs
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Mountain%20Boy
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zainab%20Shaheen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Naser%20Al%20Messabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
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Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 2,000m
8.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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THREE
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
