Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) security forces (Asayish) arrested three people suspected of belonging to ISIS in Al-Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk provinces, the Asayish agency stated on Tuesday.

The suspects were arrested in separate operations in April and June 2026 following intelligence-led investigations and coordination between security agencies. They had previously attempted to join ISIS through what the group calls "hijrah" (migration), but tightened security measures and the closure of movement routes thwarted their efforts.

Unable to join the group, the suspects turned to online propaganda, managing 10 accounts across Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Telegram, and YouTube that allegedly distributed videos, images, and posts promoting ISIS and its extremist ideology before judicial arrest warrants were issued.

On July 6, Ahmed Ramzi Kuperlu, head of the Security and Defense Committee in Kirkuk's Provincial Council, told Shafaq News that “security gaps” along the boundary between Kirkuk and the KRI continue to allow ISIS remnants to move and hide because of limited coordination between federal forces and the Peshmerga.

ISIS lost its territorial control in Iraq in 2017 but continues to operate through sleeper cells and online propaganda networks. Iraqi and Kurdistan Region security forces regularly conduct intelligence-led operations to disrupt the group's activities and recruitment efforts.

Read more: On ISIS defeat anniversary, Iraq confronts a reawakening insurgency