Shafaq News- Al-Anbar
An Iraqi security source said on Friday that three suicide bombers detonated explosive belts during an attempted arrest operation in Al-Anbar province, western Iraq, wounding a senior security official.
The source told Shafaq News that the militants, all wearing suicide vests, blew themselves up while security forces were trying to apprehend them. The explosions injured the director of the Executive Tasks Regiments at the National Security Service, the source said, without providing further details on his condition.
Security forces have launched follow-up measures in the area.
Last month, Iraq’s National Security Service (INSS) announced arresting a “dangerous terrorist” wearing a suicide belt in Al-Anbar before he could carry out an attack. The next day, the Counterterrorism Service said it arrested two terrorists in the province.
Al-Anbar shares the longest stretch of Iraq’s border with Syria, extending for roughly 325 kilometers. Within the province, the border begins at the tripoint linking Iraq, Syria, and Jordan and extends northeast toward the Al-Qaim area, where the Euphrates River enters Iraqi territory. Iraqi security officials have long described this terrain as highly sensitive, making the province a key focus for counterterrorism operations and border security efforts.
Read More: Al-Anbar: Iraq’s frontline province after Ain al-Asad military handover
The developments come as Iraq, in coordination with the US Central Command (CENTCOM), continues to receive detainees linked to ISIS transferred from prisons in Syria to Iraqi custody. Iraqi official sources confirmed to Shafaq News the arrival of about 400 such detainees so far. According to CENTCOM, up to 7,000 ISIS detainees are expected to be moved to facilities under Iraqi control.