Shafaq News/ Several terrorists were killed in Iraqi F-16 airstrikes targeting ISIS positions in the Hamrin Mountains of Kirkuk province, the Joint Operations Command (JOC) reported on Saturday.

The JOC stated, “A joint force, including Iraqi Special Forces and the 11th Division’s reconnaissance battalion from Military Intelligence, had found five terrorist bodies, with their identities and addresses to be determined later,” adding, “Two hideouts have been destroyed.”

“The executing force also found weapons, ammunition, explosives, logistics supplies, and communication devices,” it added.

“The operation is ongoing.”

On Friday, Iraqi F-16 jets “successfully and accurately” struck a hideout in the Hamrin Mountains, within the Kirkuk Operations Command area, following “precise” intelligence from the Military Intelligence Directorate and continuous monitoring by the JOC's targeting cell, the JOC stated.

Earlier this month, the JOC announced the discovery of five ISIS members' bodies following an airstrike conducted by the Iraqi army against the group in Kirkuk. The command also announced that an airstrike targeted two ISIS members in the same province. Moreover, the JOC's air force struck an ISIS hideout in the Hamrin Mountains, successfully eliminating four ISIS operatives.

In 2024, Iraqi forces intensified their operations against ISIS, resulting in the arrest and killing of dozens, including prominent leaders.

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.