SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Kurdish security forces detained a senior Islamic State (ISIS) member in Halabja, the U.S.-led Coalition forces said on Friday.
Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant (SOJTF-Levant) said the security forces launched an operation to capture a leader of ISIS cell in Halabja on Thursday night.
“Asayish SWAT, in coordination with Iraqi and Kurdish forces, conducted an operation last night that captured a #Daesh cell leader in Halabja, Iraq,” the SOJTF-Levant said in a tweet.
“The collaboration between ISF and KSF continues to reduce Daesh’s ability to facilitate operations in Iraq and Syria.”
Earlier this month, the Kurdish security forces detained an ISIS leader and 25 other members of the group in Halabja, according the SOJTF-Levant.
Kurdish forces have detained dozens of ISIS suspects in Kurdistan in the past months.
Earlier this month, Kurdish counter-terrorism forces arrested two “terrorists” in the Kurdistan Region. They confessed that they were involved in “several terrorist acts” in Kirkuk and Hamrin mountains, the counter-terrorism directorate said on December 2.
In September, the Kurdish forces detained a group of seven ISIS militants in Erbil, planning to carry out “terrorist acts” in the city.
In July, the security forces also detained a group of ISIS militants including five suspects who planned to attack the Erbil governorate’s building and places where foreign nationals stay.
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.
