IS Once Got Hit Near Border

Militants of the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group in Iraq were once hit by Iranian military forces at a distance of 40 kilometers from the border, a high-ranking military official said. In an interview with Tasnim News Agency on Saturday, Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, a senior military advisor to the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said the armed forces had on one occasion implemented a decision by Iran to take action to stop IS militants if they get any closer than 40 kilometers to the Iran-Iraq border. When the terrorists launched an attack against Baghdad and surrounded the Iraqi capital from three directions two years ago, roads and small towns in eastern parts of the city were within a radius of 40 kilometer from Iran's western borders, the general explained. "Iran carried out its threat and hit IS before they could come any closer," Firouzabadi said, noting that reports of the attack were never made public at the time.