The Media Line: Iraq Arrests 6 Islamic State Members in Coordinated Raids  

Iraq Arrests 6 Islamic State Members in Coordinated Raids  

By The Media Line Staff  

Iraq’s counter-terrorism forces arrested six suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) terror group on Wednesday as part of a coordinated effort to target the group and dismantle its cells in several areas of Iraq, Rudaw, an independent Iraqi media outlet, reports.   

According to the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), the arrests and raids were conducted in cooperation with the Iraqi National Intelligence Service following what officials described as detailed intelligence collection and sustained field monitoring. The operations targeted individuals accused of supporting IS sleeper cells and infrastructure used by the group after its territorial defeat.  

Four of the suspects were arrested in Kirkuk, where CTS units said the detainees had been involved in transporting and delivering supplies to ISIS cells operating in the area. Additional arrests were made in separate operations in Mosul, the capital of Nineveh province, and in Baghdad, expanding the scope of the crackdown beyond northern Iraq.  

Security forces also carried out wide-ranging search and clearance missions in the Dibis district northwest of Kirkuk, an area long considered vulnerable due to its proximity to disputed territories. Those operations were conducted in coordination with Kurdistan Region security bodies, including the Sulaimani-based Asayish Directorate of Operations and Commando Forces. CTS said the joint effort focused on locating and neutralizing IS hideouts used for movement and concealment.  

In a separate phase of the campaign, CTS units moved against IS remnants in Saladin province, where forces swept areas of the Hamrin mountain range. The service said those actions resulted in the destruction of six caves and hideouts used by the group.  

In a statement, the CTS said the operations were part of “our ongoing efforts to enhance security and stability and to pursue the remnants of the defeated ISIS terrorist gangs,” adding that the actions were based on “precise intelligence and high-level field monitoring.”  

Security officials say recent operations reflect an ongoing strategy to prevent the group from regrouping, and are intended to disrupt its support networks, and reinforce stability in areas previously exploited by IS cells.