Iraqi Forces eliminate 30 ISIS fighters in Hamrin, Kirkuk

Shafaq News/ Iraqi security forces have killed 30 ISIS militants in Kirkuk's Hamrin Mountains during the first week of 2025, coinciding with the Iraqi army's 104th-anniversary celebrations, announced Maj. Gen. Saleh Harz Nasser, Commander of Kirkuk Operations, on Wednesday.

“Security forces recovered the bodies of 13 ISIS fighters following precision airstrikes by the Iraqi Air Force,” Nasser stated. He underscored the resolve of the Iraqi forces, declaring, “We have struck a critical blow to the terrorist organization and will ensure they have no ground to operate on. We will burn the earth under their feet.”

In 2024, Iraq intensified its counterterrorism operations, dismantling numerous ISIS cells and neutralizing high-ranking leaders.

Although ISIS suffered territorial defeat in 2017, the group continues to operate in Iraq, particularly within the "Triangle of Death" (Kirkuk, Saladin, and Diyala). Its sleeper cells persist in guerrilla tactics, including assassinations, kidnappings, and extortion, aimed at destabilizing the region.