Security troops arrest eight Islamic State members in Mosul
A number of arrested people. Representational photo.
A statement by the center quoted the Interior Ministry spokesperson as saying “Nineveh Counter-Terrorism Department arrested eight Islamic State members, including those who were working for the group’s so-called Hisbah (vigilantism) and security departments. The other arrested ones were fighters who were wanted for trials.”
The suspects, according to the statement, “were arrested in sporadic areas across Mosul and Tal Afar town, west of the city.”
Last week, seven Islamic State members were arrested after attacking a checkpoint for Federal Police and managed to kill a policeman. Troops also arrested Islamic State member, who was in charge of carrying out executions, called Abu Saif al-Hilaly, in al-Rashidiya region, northwest of Mosul,
Thousands of Islamic State militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.
In December, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced gaining control on all the territories that were captured by Islamic State, since 2014. However, the group still has dormant cells, through which it carries out attacks, across Iraq like it used to do before 2014.