Despite the Western Coalition declaring victory over Islamic State in Iraq last year, the militants’ activity is surging. More Iraqis are kidnapped every month, as state media stays silent, a government security adviser told RT.

The Western Coalition declared Iraq “completely liberated” from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) in December, but the militants’ activities didn’t cease – in fact, they are surging, with more Iraqis getting abducted and murdered by terrorists, Hisham al-Hashimi said.

The number of Iraqis kidnapped by IS doubled since May, but the state media is staying silent. Al-Hashimi explained to RT that by doing so, the government hopes to not “spread panic and hinder the rescue efforts.”

IS militants don’t seem to be leaving anytime soon, as they continue menacing locals with hit-and-run attacks and assassinations. The government is struggling to weed out the jihadists, who are hiding in remote mountainous areas.

“The special forces don’t have enough resources to hunt the militants down,” al-Hashimi said.

RT’s Murad Gazdiev takes a look at how the terrorists have traded large-scale operations for the “basics.”

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