Shafaq News/ On Saturday, the Iraqi National Security Service successfully prevented a "dangerous terrorist plot", and arrested several ISIS members in Kirkuk province.

The spokesperson for the National Security Service, Arshad Al-Hakim, stated in a video message, that the terrorist plot aimed at targeting government sites and security figures to destabilize the province.

“In coordination with the General Directorate of Operations of the Asayish in al-Sulaymaniyah, the National Security Directorate in Kirkuk dismantled a network affiliated with ISIS. The group consisted of seven members, including the so-called Emir of the Kurdistan Sector, Azad Al-Shafai,” he added.

Al-Hakim further detailed, "The location of this network was pinpointed, and during a raid, an armed clash ensued, leading to one of the terrorists committing suicide after being surrounded. The operation uncovered ISIS membership forms, internal correspondence, extremist literature, electronic devices, military gear, and a drone."

He also noted that the number of arrested terrorist elements in Kirkuk has reached 50, who have been sentenced to death and life imprisonment.

Despite its territorial defeat in 2017, ISIS maintains a significant presence in Iraq through sleeper cells that engage in guerrilla warfare, assassinations, kidnappings, and extortion to destabilize the region. They blend into local populations, making them challenging to detect.

Since the beginning of 2024, Iraqi forces have ramped up counter-terrorism operations across several provinces, including Saladin, Kirkuk, Diyala, and Al-Anbar. These efforts have led to the destruction of numerous hideouts, the capture of ISIS members, and the elimination of several high-ranking leaders.

Military officials confirmed to Shafaq News that ISIS is no longer capable of conducting large-scale operations, but isolated elements are exploiting security gaps to reestablish a presence in the region.