Exclusive: Iraqi Army kills 3 senior ISIS commanders in Zarka operation

Shafaq News/ An Iraqi airstrike killed three top ISIS commanders in the Zarka area, between Kirkuk and Saladin provinces, a security source revealed on Sunday.

The source told Shafaq News that the three ISIS figures are the so-called wali of Kirkuk, the wali of Hawija, and the commander of the Hamrin sector.

For its part, the Ministry of Interior announced in a statement that “the airstrike was carried out with precision based on intelligence and drone surveillance, destroying an ISIS hideout,” adding that security force from the East Saladin Operations Command later found seven bodies at the site, one of which belonged to the so-called Wali of Kirkuk.

“Security forces also recovered mobile phones, explosive belts, and various logistical materials,” the statement added.

“Drone surveillance detected another nearby ISIS hideout, which is now under observation, with plans for a potential airstrike if any movement is detected,” the ministry unveiled.

On Friday, the Joint Operations Command reported that seven suicide bombers wearing explosive belts were killed in an Iraqi F-16 airstrike in the Zarka area.

Iraq has ramped up its counterterrorism efforts in recent months, with security forces killing 30 ISIS militants in December alone. Despite its territorial defeat in 2017, ISIS continues to operate in Iraq, particularly in hotspots like Kirkuk, Saladin, and Diyala, through sleeper cells employing guerrilla tactics to destabilize the region.