On the path of Iraq’s liberation from any presence of “ISIS” on its territories, the Asian country has intensified its efforts aimed at thwarting any attempt by the terrorist organization to prove its existence.

These efforts were reflected in the announcement of the Iraqi government’s Security Media Cell last Wednesday, launching the sixth phase of the “Swords of Truth” operation, which aims to enhance security operations along the border strip, pursue ISIS terrorist elements, cleanse the territories, and prevent smuggling and infiltration across international borders.

Neutralizing terrorists

In the midst of these efforts, the Security Media Cell announced on Monday the execution of an operation after “monitoring three ISIS elements in the Turkulan area, belonging to Kirkuk province, north of Baghdad.”

The Security Media Cell stated that “as a result of this information, a force from the Iraqi army headed to the location, clashed with them, surrounded them, killed them, and detonated the explosive belts they were wearing.”

It indicated that one soldier was killed and an officer was injured during the operation carried out by the forces on Sunday evening, bringing the number of ISIS terrorist casualties to 5 elements, “within the Kirkuk operational sector.”

In a separate statement issued by the Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior on Monday, it announced the arrest of the so-called “responsible for crossings in the Diwan al-Wafidin of ISIS in Kirkuk.”

Overthrowing a terrorist

The Iraqi intelligence stated in a statement that “the Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency of the Ministry of Interior continues its security operations to monitor the terrorist ISIS gangs, where agency teams, through a well-prepared ambush, managed to arrest one of the wanted individuals in accordance with the provisions of Article Four of the Counter-Terrorism Law in Kirkuk.”

It added that “the accused held the position of responsible for crossings in the province’s Diwan al-Wafidin,” noting that “the terrorist contributed to facilitating the entry of terrorists into Iraq from Syria” and “was seized with a group of forged identities.”

The “ISIS” organization seized vast areas in Iraq and neighboring Syria following consecutive attacks in 2014, but it was defeated after a series of military operations against it in both countries with the support of a US-led international coalition.

Although Iraq announced the defeat of “ISIS” on its territories in 2017, terrorist groups still have the ability to launch attacks on both sides of the border between Iraq and Syria, according to the United Nations.

On June 11th last year, three Iraqi soldiers were killed and four others were injured in an attack west of Kirkuk attributed to “ISIS”. However, in late April last year, the international coalition against “ISIS” reported a decline in terrorist attacks in Iraq and neighboring Syria.

In March last year, an Iraqi military official said that “ISIS” has between 400 and 500 active fighters in Iraq.