Two militants arrested in security operation in Kirkuk: Military
Troops of the Islamic State group. File photo.
“The military intelligence department managed to arrest two militants in al-Nasr district in Kirkuk,” the War Media Cell said in a statement.
“Security troops continue their operations in Kirkuk and elsewhere,” it added.
On Thursday, Maj. Gen. Ali Fadel Umran, commander of Kirkuk Operations said six Islamic State members were killed in an operation in Abbassi region, west of Kirkuk. Earlier this week, two IS members were killed, while eight others were arrested in an operation launched to follow IS remnants who escaped toward north of Hawija, toward al-Zab region.
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.
The Joint Operations Command announced in October the liberation of each of Hawija, Riyad and al-Rashad. Over 1,300 members were killed during offensives to free Hawija, while over 800 members were killed during the second phase of operations.
The offensive on Hawija began on 21 September and has involved army, police and special forces units, as well as the Shia-led paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces.
The town fell to IS in June 2014, when the jihadist group seized control of much of northern and western Iraq and proclaimed the creation of a “caliphate”.