Jan 2, 2015

DHULUIYA, Iraq — To reach Dhuluiya, a town north of Baghdad, we had to cross the Tigris River by boat. For the Iraqi government and its allies, the journey was much more difficult. They had to crush the Islamic State (IS), the de facto ruler of the area since July 2014.

“We lost 127 men from our town in the fight against Daesh [IS],” said Khalid, a fighter from the Jobour tribe, which fought alongside government forces and Shiite militias. “From the first day they entered this town, everything changed. Our life became hell, so we decided there’s no option but to kick them out.” As Khalid spoke to Al-Monitor, hundreds of fighters in military and civilian cars paraded down Dhuluiya's main street, chanting, firing weapons and dancing. On the sides of the street, women and children stood clapping and smiling to celebrate the end of the IS era in their town.

For months, Dhuluiya was an IS stronghold in the area between Salahuddin and Diyala provinces. Located on the Tigris River, the town was vital for transporting weapons and personnel between the two provinces. According to Hisham al-Hashemi, an analyst of radical movements, IS regarded Dhuluiya as a hotbed. “The group’s battles are fought on three fronts. The castle where the camps, storage and strong fighters are located — it’s a safe haven where Sharia is imposed, which is difficult [for enemies to attack],” he said. “Then comes the hotbed, a place more likely to be attacked, where Sharia isn’t implemented and locals aren’t fully loyal to the Islamic State. Dhuluiya is a good example. The third front is the distraction front.”

Hashemi, author of a book on IS titled “The World of Daesh,” told Al-Monitor that after IS' loss of both its castle and hotbed in the Balad district, Yathreb and Dhuluiya, it’s unlikely they will resume attacks in the area anytime soon.

Everything in Dhuluiya points to the fierceness of the battle fought here. IS wasn't alone. One of the town’s tribes — a small one — backed the group, so it’s unlikely the town will ever be fully restored to what it was. All the tribes are Sunni Muslims, but the biggest two, Jobour and Obeid, decided to stand by the government. An Iraqi security source told Al-Monitor, “That such tribes are wealthy and have investments worth billions of Iraqi dinars makes them closer to the government and in favor of stability. … From the first minute the terrorists entered the town, they contacted the authorities and expressed their will to fight alongside government forces. This is a good experience that could be copied in other areas. This is how we can win this war.”