ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Iraqi army on Saturday said they had killed four Islamic State (ISIS) elements in airstrikes on one of the group's hideouts in a remote region, southwest of Kirkuk province.
The four “ISIS terrorists” were killed in a “qualitative and specialized operation based on accurate information” which was carried out “over the past two days” in Zgheitoun Valley, southwest of Kirkuk, according to a statement by the Iraqi Defense Ministry Security Media Cell, which was published shortly before midnight.
In the two-day operation, F16 aircraft were used, turning the hideouts “into rubble over the heads of the terrorists," the statement wrote.
The midnight announcement came around three weeks after the killing of another group of eight ISIS militants in similar airstrikes on the group’s hideout on Mount Hamrin, southwest of Kirkuk.
The Iraqi government has intensified operations against ISIS remnants following the group’s territorial defeat, though sporadic insurgent activities remain in remote areas.
Despite being territorially defeated in 2017, ISIS militants continue to pose a security threat in Iraq through hit-and-run operations and attacks on remote areas. Iraqi forces have intensified their efforts to eliminate these remnants, especially in provinces like Kirkuk, Anbar, and Nineveh, where ISIS cells remain active.
Similar operations have been carried out across Iraq, as the military targets the group's hideouts and leadership in an ongoing campaign to maintain security and stability.
"We confirm that our security forces and intelligence systems are continuing their efforts to pursue the remnants of terrorism until they are eliminated,” the Iraqi security media cell detailed.
Earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani reiterated support for the security forces in their pursuit of ISIS remnants, stressing that “there is no place for terrorists in Iraq” and that armed forces will continue their operations until the country is “cleansed” from ISIS.
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