Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Iraqi forces killed four ISIS militants and destroyed a hideout during an operation in Kirkuk’s Al-Shay Valley (Wadi Al-Shay) area, the Joint Operations Command said on Saturday.

Iraqi F-16 fighter jets carried out two airstrikes targeting an ISIS shelter within the Kirkuk operations sector, killing three and completely destroying the site. Iraqi Army Aviation later conducted an armed reconnaissance mission to search the area and killed another suspected militant.

Additional details would be announced later, the Command said.

Earlier today, Iraqi jets also struck an ISIS position in the Zghaitoun Valley in Kirkuk, a Defense Ministry source told Shafaq News, without providing further details about casualties or damage.

Although ISIS lost territorial control in Iraq in 2017, the group continues operating through sleeper cells and insurgent attacks in rural and mountainous areas, particularly in Kirkuk, Diyala, Saladin, and Al-Anbar. In April, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said security forces dismantled four ISIS-linked cells during operations conducted this year, warning that the group has increasingly used social media and online gaming platforms to recruit young people.

Read more: Tracking down ISIS in Iraq: From rugged terrain to DNA identification