Iraqi Forces Arrest Two ISIS Suspects, Seize Weapons Cache in Kirkuk
Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS) forces arrested two suspected Islamic State (ISIS) militants in separate operations in Kirkuk province on Sunday, while also uncovering and confiscating a weapons depot during an ongoing security campaign against the group's remaining cells.
According to the ICTS, the operations were conducted based on "accurate intelligence and continuous surveillance," leading to the arrest of two ISIS suspects in different locations across the province.
In a separate operation, security forces located and destroyed an ammunition cache containing mortar shells, rockets, RPG-7 propellants, and hand grenades. The ICTS said the operation formed part of its continuing efforts to eliminate the remnants of ISIS and prevent the group from re-establishing operational capabilities.
The latest operations come amid a noticeable increase in ISIS activity in Kirkuk in recent months. Earlier in July, the ICTS announced that its forces had killed a prominent ISIS member in a sniper operation in the province. The following day, Iraqi Air Force F-16 fighter jets carried out airstrikes targeting ISIS hideouts in Kirkuk's Dibis district.
The renewed security operations have not been without casualties. The Counter-Terrorism Service lost one soldier during recent clashes with ISIS militants in the area.
Security concerns have also been heightened by the mysterious disappearance of a Kurdish farmer in the Dibis district after he went to his cornfield to arrange irrigation, though authorities have not confirmed whether the incident is linked to ISIS activity.
Although Iraq declared victory over ISIS in 2017 after the group lost the territory it had seized during its 2014 offensive, the militant organization continues to operate through small insurgent cells. These cells remain active particularly in the disputed territories between the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, including parts of Kirkuk, Diyala, Nineveh, and Salahaddin provinces, where they continue to pose a persistent security threat.
