SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi counter-terrorism forces arrested an Islamic State (ISIS) leader in southwest of Kirkuk on Saturday.
The Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service said in a tweet that its forces had carried out an airdrop operation in Wadi Zeghitoon area at dawn on Saturday.
“Special forces from counter-terrorism service arrested a famous leader from isis gangs in an airdrop operation carried out in wadi zeghitoon in the southwest of kirkuk at dawn today,” the tweeted.
Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service said in a tweet on Friday that its forces detained 37 ISIS members during 32 raids in September.
Iraqi forces have stepped up efforts to detain ISIS militants in the provinces of Kirkuk, Saladin, Anbar and Baghdad. On Friday, Iraqi intelligence units arrested two senior ISIS members in western Baghdad. Separately, Iraqi counter-terrorism forces detained an ISIS member in Najaf.
Iraq declared victory over Islamic State in December 2017 but the militants have regrouped in the Hamrin mountain range which extends into the northern provinces – an area described by officials as a “triangle of death”.
