Iraq targets senior ISIS figures in Kirkuk

Shafaq News – Kirkuk

Iraqi special forces, backed by US Global Coalition troops, launched an airborne raid in the al-Hawija district, southwest of Kirkuk, against senior ISIS members, a security source confirmed on Sunday.

The source told Shafaq News that four helicopters were used in the operation. Two conducted the landing, while the other two provided aerial surveillance and secured the area to prevent the targeted ISIS leader from escaping.

He added that the raid focused on several high-profile suspects as part of ongoing efforts to pursue ISIS remnants, resulting in the arrest of a senior member of the group and another individual.

Despite the declared military victory over ISIS, its sleeper cells remain active in rugged terrain and valleys south and west of Kirkuk, exploiting difficult geography and security gaps between Saladin and Kirkuk.

Yesterday, a security source told Shafaq News that Iraqi forces conducted multiple air landings on suspected ISIS hideouts and weapons caches in al-Shay Valley (Wadi al-Shay), south of Kirkuk.