Iraq
Iraqi Security Media Cell spokesperson Saad Maan speaking to Rudaw on February 7, 2025. Photo: Screengrab / Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq has transferred 2,250 jailed ISIS militants into the country by air and land as part of an ongoing operation coordinated with the US-led international coalition, the Iraqi Security Media Cell said on Saturday, amid warnings from local officials about increased militant activity in western Iraq.
Iraqi Security Media Cell spokesperson Saad Maan said the transfer process remains ongoing and is being carried out in coordination with the Joint Operations Command, Iraqi security forces, and the global coalition led by the United States.
“The process of transferring ISIS militants continues,” Maan told Rudaw, adding that as of Friday, a total of 2,250 ISIS members had been transferred to Iraq.
Regarding border security and the possibility of militants escaping, Maan said the situation remains under control.
“The borders are being monitored very carefully, and no escape has occurred so far. Monitoring operations are continuing in all aspects, there is no danger, and calculations have been made for all possibilities,” he said.
Maan also highlighted the role of the Peshmerga forces in maintaining security, stressing coordination between federal and regional forces.
“Certainly, Peshmerga forces are Iraqi forces and are part of the country's security and defense system, and they continue to be in coordination and cooperation with security forces,” he said.
The renewed ISIS activities come amid growing concern in Iraq that the group is exploiting security gaps in Syria following prison breaks involving ISIS detainees.
Local officials in Iraq’s western Nineveh and Anbar provinces warn of increased ISIS activity following two recent suicide attacks in western Iraq. In mid-January, Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji warned that ISIS was taking advantage of clashes between Kurdish forces and Damascus-affiliated armed groups in Syria, during which detainees escaped from several prisons.
Imad Mashaal al-Dulaimi, mayor of Anbar’s al-Rutbah district, told Rudaw on Saturday that ISIS militants have largely taken shelter in remote areas of Anbar province, prompting intensified security operations to track them down. Al-Rutbah is the largest district in Anbar.
Mohammed Jasim Kakayi, head of the security and defense committee in the Nineveh Provincial Council, said ISIS militants are primarily active in the Hazar area. He added that Iraqi armed forces on Friday killed five to six ISIS members - including Abi Hajar Ani, one of the group’s leaders - after targeting their hideout with airstrikes. Hazar district is located about 60 kilometers southwest of Nineveh province.
On Saturday, two ISIS militants detonated themselves during a security operation in western Anbar, injuring federal security personnel, according to Iraq’s National Security Service (INSS).
Halkawt Azeez contributed to this report from Baghdad.
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