Twenty six Islamic State members arrested, southeast of Mosul
Representational photo.
“Security troops launched a campaign, during which several IS members were arrested in Nimrud,” the source told Baghdad Today website.
In related news, an informed source from Nineveh Operations Command said wide-scale campaign was launched to comb west and central Mosul regions.
“The Iraqi army’s 16th division, in collaboration with al-Hashd al-Shaabi [Popular Mobilization Forces] and local police combed the central islands in Tigris river and regions on the banks of the river in the western flank of the city,” the source said.
“The command received information over presence of sleeper cells in the region falling between the eastern and western sides of Mosul,” the source said, adding that operations are ongoing to comb regions in Mosul.
On July 10, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over IS militants who had held the second largest Iraqi city since 2014. More than 25000 militants were killed throughout the campaign, which started in October 2016.
Since the city was declared free, security troops continue to comb western Mosul areas for hidden IS cells. Despite the victory over IS there in the city, observers say IS is believed to constitute a security threat even after the group’s defeat at its main havens across Iraqi provinces.
A government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition has been fighting, since October 2016, the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.