Iraqi forces eliminate senior ISIS leader, six militants in Kirkuk

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, a security source from the Kirkuk Operations Command announced the death of Abu Ubaida, the Deputy Assistant Governor of ISIS, along with six of his associates in a targeted airstrike south of Kirkuk.

According to the source, “The Iraqi Air Force carried out a precise airstrike on an ISIS hideout in the Hamrin Mountains, killing Abu Ubaida and six other militants.”

“The strike also led to the recovery of a cache of weapons and equipment, including two M16 rifles, a thermal scope, two hand grenades, a suicide belt, six mobile phones, a flash drive, and a solar panel.”

This operation is part of a broader campaign by Iraqi forces to intensify counterterrorism efforts. Over the past month, these actions have resulted in the deaths of 30 ISIS militants.

ISIS, which emerged in 2014, rapidly seized control of vast territories across Iraq and Syria, declaring a so-called caliphate. While territorially defeated in Iraq by 2017, the group remains active through guerrilla tactics, sporadic attacks, and sleeper cells in remote areas.