Shafaq News/ Iraq's federal intelligence agency on Wednesday said it had apprehended six persons with links to the Islamic State extremist group in a security operation in Nineveh.

"Documents obtained by the agency have proven that the arrestees carried out missions for the terrorist gangs under different aliases," a statement by the agency said.

"The agency units also found an arms cache after receiving intel about mortar shells hidden under the group. The location was identified, and more than 350 mortar shells were excavated," the statement added.

The military intelligence agency said it had arrested two ISIS persons in two separate operations in Kirkuk.

"The arrestees were captured in two ambushes in the cities of Kirkuk and Daquq," a statement by the agency said, "both of them are wanted by the Iraqi judiciary for charges related to Article 4/Terrorism."