ISIS "Governor of Kirkuk" among those killed in Iraqi airstrikes
Shafaq News/ Iraqi security forces have carried out a series of airstrikes and ground operations targeting ISIS hideouts in the Saladin and Kirkuk regions, killing multiple senior members of the group.
The Security Media Cell stated on Friday that the the Joint Operations Command (JOC) announced the death of four ISIS militants in an airstrike targeting their hideout in the Zarka area, located on the border between Saladin and Kirkuk.
"The Military Intelligence Directorate, under the supervision of the Joint Operations Command's targeting cell, monitored a group of militants in one of the hideouts." Iraqi F-16 fighter jets carried out two airstrikes, destroying the hideout and killing the militants inside.
Among those militants was Daham Mohammed Alawi, also known as Abu Saeed al-Dandoushi, who served as ISIS's self-proclaimed ‘’governor of Kirkuk’’. He was allegedly responsible for a series of attacks targeting civilians in Wadi al-Shay, the Hamrin Mountains, and Hawija in Kirkuk province.
The statement also idntified Shihada Alawi Saleh, known as Abu Issa, who oversaw ISIS operations in the Hamrin region, as well as Basim Rabei al-Battoush, described as a key operative within the group.
On Sunday, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense also confirmed the killing of three top ISIS commanders. Seven bodies, were recovered, alongside mobile phones, explosive belts, and other materials. "Drone surveillance detected another nearby ISIS hideout, which is now under observation," the ministry added.
Earlier, Iraqi warplanes targeted two other ISIS positions in the Wadi al-Shay area, south of Kirkuk, and security forces launched a ground operation to assess the casualties.
Despite ISIS's territorial defeat in 2017, the group remains active in Iraq, particularly in the Kirkuk, Salah Al-Din, and Diyala regions, operating through sleeper cells.
In addition, a recovery operation in southern Saladin uncovered several bodies of ISIS militants, including suicide bombers wearing explosive belts, after airstrikes in the Zarka region. The continued operations in these regions have resulted in the deaths of over 150 ISIS militants in recent months, according to the Iraqi military.
