Iraqi airstrikes kill three ISIS militants in Hamrin Mountains

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Iraqi F-16 fighter jets carried out two airstrikes targeting ISIS positions in the Hamrin mountain range* within the Kirkuk operations sector on Wednesday, killing three militants, the Joint Operations Command announced.

The command said the strikes hit two sites allegedly used by ISIS members for shelter and logistical support, with both locations destroyed.

Although ISIS lost territorial control in Iraq in 2017, it continues operating as an insurgent network across desert and rural regions, including Diyala, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Al-Anbar. In mid-April, Iraq’s Interior Ministry reported that security forces had dismantled four ISIS-linked cells during operations conducted in 2026, warning that the group has increasingly relied on social media and online gaming platforms to recruit young people.

* The Hamrin Mountains are a rugged range stretching across Diyala, Saladin, and Kirkuk provinces in northeastern Iraq.

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