JOC: Iraqi airstrikes eliminate ISIS cell in Kirkuk

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Iraqi aircraft targeted an ISIS cell on the outskirts of Shawan district in northern Kirkuk.

A security source told Shafaq News Agency that "the strike was based on precise intelligence, resulting in the death of all members of the cell. Security forces are currently working to access the strike site."

The source clarified that "the attack occurred near the village of Turka, approximately 50 km north of Kirkuk, and involved around four militants."

The Joint Operations Command (JOC) reported that the strike was conducted "following high-level cooperation and accurate information from the Asayish Directorate in Al-Sulaymaniyah, with all necessary approvals coordinated with security leadership in the Kurdistan Region."

In a statement, the command noted that "the air force executed a successful airstrike using F-16 jets at 12:00 p.m., targeting a significant terrorist hideout—a cave housing a cell of four ISIS members—in areas of mutual interest between Kirkuk and Al-Sulaymaniyah."

Despite being declared defeated in Iraq in 2017, ISIS remnants persist in rural and less secure areas, including Kirkuk. The group’s continued presence in the region is attributed to Kirkuk's strategic and ongoing security vacuums, which ISIS exploits to conduct attacks and sustain its foothold.