Terrorist IS cell arrested in Fallujah for extorting money from local residents
Iraqi security forces launch a major operation to stem out IS cells
Anbar (Iraqinews.com) – Security forces arrested on Monday a terrorist cell of Islamic State in Fallujah city, a security source was quoted as saying.
Speaking to Alsumaria News TV channel, the source said, “The three-strong terrorist cell of Islamic State was arrested at al-Shohadaa district in southern Fallujah.”
“They have extorted thousands of dollars from local residents in Fallujah,” the source said, adding that the terrorist cell was taken to a detention center for interrogation.
Earlier in the day, a military source said two Islamic State militants were arrested in Anna city, 210 km west of Anbar.
“The two terrorists were residing at al-Rayhanna village in Anna before joining Islamic State,” the source told Alsumaria News.
Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over 3 million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence earlier in
November with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq.
A government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and a US-led international coalition, was launched in 2016 to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital.