In a statement on Tuesday, the Hashd al-Sha’abi said the Daesh elements were trying to infiltrate through Tal al-Zahab region, south of Samarra, Al Ekhbariya TV network reported.
It added that the terrorists planned to move towards Diyala in east and seize a major oil field there.
The popular forces managed to kill and injured scores of the Takfiri militants in the process of the counterattack.
In recent months, suspected Daesh militants have stepped up attacks, particularly in the area between Kirkuk, Salahuddin (north), and Diyala (east), known as the “Triangle of Death”.
In 2017, Iraq declared victory over Daesh by reclaiming all of its territory – about a third of the country’s area – invaded by the terrorist group in 2014.
However, the terrorist group still maintains sleeper cells in some areas of Iraq and periodically launches attacks.
The Iraqi army and popular forces continue to carry out frequent operations against the terror group in these parts of the country.
