Iraqi airstrikes decimate senior ISIS leadership in Hamrin Mountains
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, the Commander of Diyala Operations for the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Talib al-Moussawi, announced the elimination of senior ISIS leaders in the Hamrin Mountains following precision airstrikes conducted by Iraqi F-16 fighter jets.
The Joint Operations Command (JOC) confirmed, on Friday, that “the airstrikes targeted a significant ISIS hideout in the mountainous region of Diyala province.”
According to al-Moussawi, the operation resulted in the deaths of key ISIS figures, including:
- Rokan Hammoud Ibrahim al-Asajrah (Abu Shaalan): ISIS "Governor of Diyala."
- Salam Adel al-Zaidi (Salam Dana, Abu Riyad): Emir of the Khalid ibn al-Walid sector.
- Khattab Dhia Saleh Mehdi al-Tatran (Mu'adh): A prominent combatant.
- An unidentified individual, whose identity is under investigation.
The operation was a joint effort between Iraqi security forces and the PMF, which also launched ground operations to clear and secure the Hamrin Mountains earlier today.
The PMF Authority emphasized that “preemptive operations will continue, with intensified intelligence efforts aimed at dismantling remaining ISIS hideouts.”
This follows Friday’s successful airstrike in the same region, which resulted in the death of ISIS’s so-called “Deputy Assistant Governor” and six of his associates.
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.
