Iraqi intelligence agents capture three terrorists in Mosul city
Iraqi troops arrest a suspected Islamic State militant
Nineveh (Iraqinews.com) – Three terrorists were arrested Wednesday by Iraqi intelligence services in Mosul city, the Security Media Council said on Wednesday.
“The 20th brigade of the Iraqi military intelligence set an ambush in Hamam al-Alil town in southern Mosul, managing to arrest three terrorists,” Alghad Press quoted the council as saying in a statement.
“The trio were wanted by Iraqi judiciary on terror charges pursuant to article 4/1 of the anti-terrorism law,” the statement read.
The anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped jihadists even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks.
Experts estimate that Iraq is holding 20,000 people in jail over suspected IS membership. There is no official figure, according to AFP.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced, last July, the liberation of the second largest Iraqi city of Mosul from IS militants, who had captured it in 2014. More than 25,000 militants were killed throughout the campaign, which started in October 2016.
Iraq had declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in Iraq 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.