ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi security forces on Saturday revealed the identities of the seven suspected Islamic State (ISIS) members killed in airstrikes in late January, including the group’s so-called “Wali of Kirkuk,” and two other senior leaders.

Iraq’s Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement that they had identified the bodies of the militants killed in F-16 airstrikes targeting suspected ISIS hideouts in the Zarka area between Kirkuk and Salahaddin provinces on January 31.

The authorities were able to “conclusively” confirm that “important” leaders of the militant group were killed in the operation, according to the statement.

The bodies identified included ISIS’ so-called Wali of Kirkuk Duham Muhammad Aliwi al-Makni, the so-called head of the Hamrin sector Shahadha Alawi Saleh al-Makni, and Bassem Rabie al-Batoush, identified as “an important member” of the group.

Iraq’s Security Media Cell announced last week that they had killed seven ISIS militants in the operation.

The Sunday statement said that some of the militants were wearing “explosive belts” while detailing that the armed forces discovered "various weapons, logistical material, devices, criminal evidence, and other equipment” during the search operation.

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.

In November, Iraqi PM 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.

Iraqi security forces arrested over 500 terror suspects in 2024, according to data from the Iraqi National Security Service.