Iran-supported Iraqi PMF repel ISIL counterattack near Tal Afar

Iran-supported Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) reportedly repelled a violent counterattack against its positions held near Tal Afar.

According to The Washington Post:

[ISIL] launched a significant counterattack near the town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, on Sunday night.

[ISIL] detonated some 17 car bombs, targeting a position held by Iraq’s government-sanctioned mostly Shiite militia forces known as the Popular Mobilization Forces near Tal Afar, said Jaafar al-Hussaini, a spokesman for one of the militias.

In all, the attack lasted nine hours and killed four militiamen and 48 IS fighters before it was repelled al-Hussaini said.

Comment: Cited spokesman Jaafar al-Hussaini is a member of Iran-supported Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH).

Iran-supported PMF appear to be receiving air support from Iraqi Army Air Command.

Iran-supported PMF are applying pressure towards ISIL defenses in the direction of or about Tal Afar, while Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) position to attack the western sections of Mosul. Moreover, ISIL is being somewhat stretched in committing forces to defend Tal Afar. Any reduction of combat strength away from Mosul assists ISF in liberating the much larger provincial capital.

Meanwhile Iranian and PMF media are characterizing ISIL's action as aiming “through the attack to open a way in a bid to flee the area into Syria .” Certainly, ISIL's line of communication towards Syria  along Iraqi Road 47 is blocked by relatively strong elements of Iran-supported PMF.

Map below depicts ISIL counterattack in the direction west of Tal Afar, along or about Iraqi Road 47. [source: ABNA]

Map below depicts Iran-supported Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces as they were positioned three weeks ago. [source: ISW]

Iraqi PMU parade new Iranian equipment at Najaf

Imagery captured from video depicting Iraqi PMF parade in Najaf. Motorized unit is outfitted with brand new Iran-suppplied equipment. Video in HD uploaded 04FEB2017, embedded below.

Iran-supplied Safir ("Ambassador") 4x4 tactical vehicles equipped with M40 type recoilless gun

Iran-supplied Safir ("Ambassador") 4x4 tactical vehicles equipped with SPG-9 Kopye (Spear) 73 mm recoilless gun

Iran-supplied Safir ("Ambassador") 4x4 tactical vehicles

Thirteen new Iran-supplied Safir tactical vehicles observed paraded by PMU at Najaf

Iran-supplied Kaviran technicals equipped with Toophan ("Typhoon") ATGM (BGM-71 TOW)

Iran-supplied Kaviran technicals equipped with Dehlavieh (Kornet-E) ATGM

Badr member observed in front of blue Karivan technical

A total of 9 new model Karivan 3/4 ton trucks observed paraded at Najaf. Vehicles bear side badges: "3200 Diesel, Intercooler..."

Detail of Iran-supplied M40 type recoilless gun

Detail of Iran-supplied Toophan ("Typhoon") ATGM (BGM-71 TOW)

Detail of Iran-supplied Dehlavieh (Kornet-E) ATGM

Detail of Iran-supplied BDUs, vests, helmets and boonie hat. Driver may bear Badr patch. Note simple slip-on cushion/covers used for seats on the Safir tactical vehicle.

Flag observed on parading PMU vehicles. Note repeated lines of Kufic script at the flags horizontal edges, resembling a design feature of Iran's national flag.

VIDEO:

Iran-supported Iraqi PMF advocates expulsion of U.S. nationals

This weekend’s signing of a U.S. executive order barring immingration and travel by Iraqi citizens into the United States is having a potential ripple effect on CJTF-OIR.

According to Reuters:

Popular Mobilization, a coalition of mainly Shiite Muslim paramilitary groups armed and trained by Iran to fight Islamic State, urged Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's government to expel US nationals.

Influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said on Sunday American citizens should leave Iraq. "It would be arrogance for you[Americans] to enter Iraq and other countries freely while barring them entrance to your country ... and therefore you should get your nationals out," he said on his website.

The IRGC is sure to capitalize on Iraqi popular reaction to this ban; where inside Iraq a contest of influence has been playing out between Iran and the United States stretching as far back as OIF. Now, however, is an ensuing, critical period of intensifying, competing interests as the Mosul military campaign culminates in the defeat of ISIS.

U.S. interests in the region would have the PMF stand down after the effective defeat of ISIS, having ISF provide security for the Republic of Iraq. However, the executive order effectively undercuts the Iraqi PM while serving to bolster popular regional perceptions towards that shared by the IRGC and PMF. That is to say, Iraq is now being rendered the same as Iran, pairing the two by means of a U.S. policy orientation.

Perhaps an intended effect of the U.S. executive order is to exert leverage on the Iraqi government to separate from Iran, during forthcoming negotiations between the Trump Administration and the Iraqi government. If so, publicly the Iraqi PM might be enabled with a rescinding of the ban, while the liberation of Mosul is at hand. Furthermore, this might even fit within the 90-day time frame of the executive order.

Iraqi ISF and PMF operations along HWY 12

According to IraqiNews:

Iraqi security forces and allied tribal militias recaptured on Friday 11 villages in western Anbar from Islamic State militants as operations in that region launched Thursday.

Nazem al-Juhgeifi, a senior intelligence commander at al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) said army forces, backed by police and tribal troops, recaptured seven villages on the road between the towns of Annah and Rawa. He said IS militants fled those villages without resistance.

Ragea al-Eifan, a member of the security committee at Anbar Province council, said troops retook four other villages after militants fled to the town of Rawa.

[…]

“The mission is to clear Rawa as a first phase while cutting supplies to the group from the town of Qaem passing at the desert area surrounding those areas,” he stated.

COMMENT: Iranian news sources also stated that in addition to the Popular Mobilization Forces, the 7th Iraqi Army Division is also involved in this action. Throughout late 2014 and early 2015, some 320 US advisers trained 7th Iraqi Army Division, which has subsequently engaged in combat actions against ISIL.

PMF has effected control of a section of Iraqi Road 47 west of Mosul. This new action has them pursuing control of a stretch of Iraqi Highway 12, towards the border with Syria.

For Iran-supported Iraqi PMF, effecting a level of control at the Iraqi-Syrian border can also be seen as rendering the potential forf extending a ground line of communication (GLOC), linking the Syrian and Iraqi theaters of war against ISIL, Al-Qaeda and their armed allies.