Shafaq News – Kirkuk

On Thursday, Iraqi fighter jets killed three ISIS militants in Al-Shay Valley (Wadi al-Shay), south of Kirkuk province, a security source reported.

The source told Shafaq News that the Iraqi Air Force targeted an ISIS hideout in the valley following accurate intelligence surveillance of a group planning attacks against security forces and civilians in nearby areas.

Last week, the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) announced that Iraqi security forces captured a senior ISIS commander in Kirkuk during an intelligence raid.

Wadi al-Shay, the rugged valley straddling Kirkuk and Saladin, has long been a hideout for ISIS remnants who used its terrain as a refuge after the group’s 2017 defeat in Iraq.

Since early 2025, Iraqi forces have intensified counterterrorism operations in the area, targeting senior ISIS leaders and dismantling sleeper cells. Backed by the US-led Global Coalition, security units are employing advanced intelligence methods and forensic tools—including DNA analysis—to identify militants and secure unstable regions.

Read more: After US withdrawal: Why experts warn of an ISISresurgence in Iraq