SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Iraqi military arrested two members of the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group as they crossed the border with Syria, the military said on Monday.
Iraqi Security Media Cell said units of the Iraqi military monitored the movement of ISIS militants who were trying to infiltrate into Iraq from Syria.
The militants were detained in the Jilbarat area in Rabia district near the border with Syria, the military added.
“One of them was responsible for the so-called booby-traps and bail in al-Baaj, and the other was the so-called commander of the storming force, who participated in the captivity of the Yazidis,” the military added.
Iraq has tightened security along 600 km border with Syria to curb the movement of ISIS militants, drug smuggling and other illegal activities.
In April, the Iraqi forces detained a group of ISIS who was attempting to enter Iraq through the Syrian border.
In March, the Iraqi forces thwarted an attempt by Islamic State militants to infiltrate into Iraq from Syria.
The federal government announced victory over ISIS by the end of 2017 after Iraqi and Kurdish forces backed by U.S.-led Coalition regained control of areas once captured by the militant group.
Despite its defeat, ISIS still poses a threat to the security and stability of the country as there are still sleeper cells in Iraq.
