Shafaq News– Saladin
Iraqi forces carried out airstrikes targeting suspected ISIS activity in the Balkana mountain range within Tuz Khurmatu district in eastern Saladin, a source told Shafaq News on Friday.
According to the source, the strikes followed intelligence-driven monitoring of militant movements across the rugged terrain, aiming to deny ISIS the use of the mountains for shelter or mobility. Ground forces have continued sweep operations supported by aerial surveillance to locate remaining cells and secure the area, the source said, adding that an assessment of damage and casualties will be released after field inspections are completed.
Read more: On ISIS defeat anniversary, Iraq confronts a reawakening insurgency
The strikes come a day after a Shafaq News security source revealed that Iraq’s Counter Terrorism Service launched a large-scale campaign in the Hamrin mountain range, targeting ISIS hideouts and safe houses linking Tuz Khurmatu and Daquq. That campaign focused on clearing difficult terrain to dismantle residual networks and block movement toward nearby districts.
Although ISIS lost territorial control in Iraq in 2017, it continues to operate as an insurgent force through scattered cells in desert and rural areas, including Diyala, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Al-Anbar. Iraq’s Joint Operations Command reports that counterterrorism operations and airstrikes in 2025 killed more than 90 militants, including senior figures.
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