Basra holds coordination conference against extremism
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Basra hosted the 12th Coordination Conference of the National Committee for Countering Violent Extremism, bringing together representatives from local governments across Iraq.
During a press conference attended by a Shafaq News correspondent, Basra Governor, Asaad Al-Eidani stated, “The committee has begun its work to send an important message that Iraq stands united in rejecting violence.”
Al-Eidani added that they also emphasized the need to remove the term “provinces liberated from ISIS” from our vocabulary, as the group’s defeat was achieved through the collective efforts of all Iraqi provinces and our security forces.
The delegation, which includes representatives from various provinces, arrived in Basra on Wednesday and conducted field visits to key economic and tourism sites across the province.
Notably, in 2014, ISIS seized vast swathes of territory across Iraq and Syria, with its then-leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, declaring an Islamic caliphate over areas home to millions.
At its height, the group controlled roughly a third of Syria and 40% of Iraq.
However, by December 2017, it had lost 95% of its territory, including key strongholds such as Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria.
