ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi military destroyed eight hideouts of the Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cells during a series of airstrikes in Kirkuk province on Monday amid increased operations to clear the country of the group’s remnants.
“Several concentrated airstrikes were carried out against the terrorists' locations using Cessna Caravan aircraft,” the Iraqi Security Media Cell (SMC) announced in a statement, noting that "these missions resulted in the complete destruction of 8 hideouts.”
It also added that the strikes followed “precise reconnaissance” based on “precise and confirmed intelligence received by the Military Intelligence Directorate indicating the presence of remnants of ISIS terrorist gangs within the sector of responsibility of the 11th Division in the Kirkuk Operations Command.”
ISIS seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014 before being defeated in 2017 after three years of intense fighting. Despite its territorial defeat, the group continues to pose a security threat, particularly in disputed areas between Erbil and Baghdad, spanning the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Salahaddin.
The SMC stated that security forces will continue operations to maintain stability and protect citizens, describing the mission as a commitment to national security.
In early July, an Iraqi military officer was killed during clashes with ISIS in Kirkuk province, prompting increased airstrikes targeting the group’s hideouts using F-16 fighter jets, helicopters and Cessna Caravan aircraft.
Earlier this month, the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS) forces carried out a large-scale security sweep in Nineveh province, destroying a cache of deteriorated munitions uncovered during an intelligence-led operation aimed at preventing ISIS remnants from regrouping.
The ICTS said forces found damaged military materials, including rockets of various types, landmines, mortar rounds, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The explosives were safely treated and destroyed at the site without incident.
The latest operation comes as Iraqi and Kurdistan Region security forces continue intelligence-led operations against ISIS sleeper cells, particularly in provinces that were once strongholds of the militant group.
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