A security source reported today, Monday, that an elite force launched a special operation in the heart of the Bulakana Mountains east of Salah al-Din. In a statement to "Baghdad Today," the source said, "An elite security force initiated an operation in the heart of the Bulakana Mountains, east of Salah al-Din, following an airstrike on an important hideout of the ISIS organization late last night."
He added that "initial information indicates that the military prince of what is known as the Salah al-Din Province in ISIS was killed in the airstrike, but the ongoing combing operation will reveal the organization's human losses, especially since the targeted hideout represented an important gathering place according to intelligence information."
The source also noted that "the terrorist cell that engaged in combat in Qara Hanjir, Kirkuk yesterday, is directly related to the terrorist hideout in Bulakana and accurately identified its geographical location."
The "Aisha Camp" served as a crucial launch point for ISIS cells towards the vast areas in the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk, and Salah al-Din after June 2014, acting as a base due to its important geographical position and the concentration of senior leadership of the terrorist organization there. It transformed into a sort of operations room managing attacks for long months before being targeted in liberation operations in mid-2015.
Fattah Al-Azzawi, a leader in the Popular Mobilization Forces, confirmed in a statement to "Baghdad Today" that "the importance of Camp Aisha lies in its geographical location, which poses a direct threat to the security of the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk, and Salah al-Din because of the nearby passage routes." He emphasized that "the camp was destroyed years ago following a wide operation by the joint security forces, including the Popular Mobilization Forces."
He added that "security belts nearby have blocked the way several times against ISIS's attempts to return due to its location," asserting that "the camp has become a thing of the past, but efforts are currently focused on conducting extensive operations to secure the nearby areas to prevent any infiltration attempts."
He indicated that "eliminating the threat of Camp Aisha has contributed to enhancing the security of at least 20 liberated areas spread across a vast geographic triangle extending from the 'Adhim' region towards Sulayman Biek and other nearby villages and towns."
Security expert Thamer Al-Azi pointed out that "Camp Aisha was the first spark for the fall of the 'Adhim' district, leading to the rest of the areas in Diyala after June 2024," noting that "the most prominent ISIS leaders were present there."
He added in his statement to "Baghdad Today" that "it is not a camp in the literal sense, but a gathering point due to its location among the high hills, and it contained a special training ground for suicide bombers, forming an important human reservoir for ISIS between 2014-2015 across Diyala in general," noting that "gaining control of the camp and destroying it reduced terrorist attacks at that time by at least 50%."
He emphasized that "controlling Camp Aisha means cutting off infiltration routes between the Hamrin hills deep from Salah al-Din towards Diyala and vice versa."
