ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi security forces on Saturday announced arresting two “dangerous” individuals suspected of being members of the Islamic State (ISIS) in two separate operations in Kirkuk. According to Iraq’s defense ministry, one of the suspects is allegedly from a neighboring country and was planning on carrying out “terrorist” attacks in Diyala province. The alleged militant was arrested as a result of an “elaborate ambush.” The other suspect has reportedly been a member of ISIS since 2014 and has brothers who are “prominent leaders” within the militant group, the ministry added. ISIS seized control of vast swathes of land on both sides of the border in 2014 and was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. While the group no longer controls any territory, it continues to pose a serious security risk through bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions. Thousands of people have been detained across Iraq since 2014 for suspected links to terrorist groups, including ISIS, while hundreds have been executed. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that at least two ISIS operatives were killed and an additional 24 detained in partnered operations with their allies in Iraq during the month of July.
