Bruce Johnson  RIGHT WING TRIBUNE –

Nineveh, Iraq –Eighteen Islamic State members were killed as Iraqi troops repulsed an attack by the militant group on the Iraqi-Syrian borders, west of Nineveh, military sources said on Friday.

“Iraqi troops foiled a fierce attack by ISIS on the Iraqi-Syrian borders, near Rabei’a town, northwest of Mosul. All the attackers were killed immediately, while their weapons were confiscated,” Lt. Gen. Ali al-Aaraji, of the army the 15th division, told BasNews.

The forces, according to Aaraji, “repelled the attack and were deployed along the borders between Iraq and Syria in al-Yaarabiya region, fearing infiltration by more militants,” Iraqi News reported.

Moreover, “the troops launched operations at the nearby villages in search for ISIS members,” he added.

On Thursday, the media office of Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said Iraqi F-16 jets carried out deadly airstrikes against Islamic State locations in Syria from the Iraqi borders side.

Dozens were killed in the attack.

This came after Abadi said on Wednesday that security troops will follow ISIS militants in the whole region, not only in Iraq.

The strikes, according to the statement, were carried out “depending on orders from Haidar al-Abadi, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.”

The statement also added that the strikes “would help expedite the elimination of the ISIS in the region after it was conquered in Iraq.”

Meanwhile, an informed security source told AlSumaria News that the strikes “were carried out by the F16 jets that Iraq owns.”

On Wednesday, Abadi said security troops will follow ISIS militants in the whole region, not only in Iraq.

The Iraqi-Syrian borders are under the control of joint troops of military and border guards.

Meanwhile RWT reported that in Baghdad, IRAQ, the Higher Judicial Council has revealed issuing over 800 verdicts from Nineveh Criminal Court including around 200 death sentences and 150 life sentences to convicts over terrorism charges

In a statement on Wednesday, Abdul Satar Bayraqdar, spokesperson for the High Judicial Council, said “The estimates issued by the criminal courts showed that verdicts were issued against 815 convicts, with 212 death sentences and 150 life sentences.”