SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi forces arrested an Islamic State (ISIS) leader who planned to carry out attacks in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq’s military said on Saturday.
Iran’s security media cell said units from the intelligence agency detained Abu Ibrahim Dabiq who was wanted by the Region’s security institutions for attempting to carry out attacks there.
“He was responsible for forming terrorist detachments, including the detachment that was previously arrested in Kirkuk and Anbar, and another detachment that was detained in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which was planning to carry out bombings and assassinations within the Region,” it said in a statement.
Abu Ibrahim was the “husband of one of the previously arrested terrorists, who transferred silencer weapons and ammunition to Erbil”, it added.
Iraqi and Kurdish forces have detained dozens of ISIS suspects in the country in the past months.
On September 5, authorities in the Kurdistan Region said the security forces arrested seven ISIS suspects who planned to carry out attacks in Erbil.
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, authorities said.
Another ISIS suspect was arrested in Erbil who planned to attack the general directorate of counter-terrorism forces in an attempt to free ISIS detainees and create chaos in Erbil, the KRSC said in July.
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.
