Iraqi counterterrorism intelligence units in Salah al-Din province, located in central Iraq, have apprehended 9 wanted suspects under Article 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Law.
According to the Iraqi National News Agency, the Iraqi Intelligence Agency stated in a Sunday statement, “The arrest operation was carried out based on accurate intelligence information and field monitoring conducted by agency units in the province, and in accordance with judicial arrest warrants.”
It was indicated that during the interrogation, they confessed to their affiliation with the terrorist organization ISIS and their involvement in numerous attacks against Iraqi security forces, and they have been referred to the judicial authorities.
Over the past year, ISIS continued to pose a significant security threat in Iraq despite its territorial defeat in 2017. The group has maintained its presence through sleeper cells, engaging in sporadic attacks, bombings, and abductions, especially in disputed areas between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), such as Diyala, Salahaddin, and Kirkuk.
In December 2023, the Iraqi army, in coordination with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), launched operations in Kirkuk to target ISIS cells following these attacks. Coordinated operations between Iraqi forces and Kurdish Asayish forces led to notable arrests, such as that of Abu Bakhari, a commander of ISIS’s foreign battalion, in September 2023. Despite these efforts, ISIS remains active, exploiting the region’s instability to continue its insurgency.
