MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Iraqi Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba Shiite militia group has thanked the Lebanese Hezbollah movement for its support in fighting against the Daesh terrorist group (outlawed in Russia), media said Friday.
"The Lebanese Hezbollah advisers and commanders were beside the Popular Mobilization Forces [PMF or Hashd Shaabi] from the starting operation against Daesh… Many Lebanese Hezbollah advisers were martyred in the fight against terrorism in Iraq," movement's secretary general Akram Kaabi said, as quoted by the Tasnim news agency.
He also slammed the negative media campaign against Hezbollah, saying it is aimed at creating discord between groups fighting against Daesh in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
On Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the liberation of the city of Tal Afar, the last major stronghold of the Daesh militants, on the border of Iraq with Syria, and the province of Nineveh from Daesh. Tal Afar, as well as many other western and northern Iraqi cities including Mosul, the second biggest city on the country, were seized in 2014 during a full-scale offensive launched by Daesh terrorists. The Iraqi forces have now managed to retake most territories occupied by the jihadists.
On August 22, Iraqi National Security Adviser Faleh Fayad dismissed claims made by the spokesperson of the Iraqi Shiite People's Mobilization Forces that advisers from Iran and Hezbollah were involved in the operation to liberate Tal Afar from terrorists.
