Source: Iraqi Forces launch major operation to eliminate ISIS remnants in Zghaitoun valley

Shafaq News/ On Friday, Iraqi security forces initiated a large-scale military operation aimed at eradicating ISIS remnants entrenched in the Zghaitoun Valley, a strategic area between Kirkuk and Saladin provinces, a security source reported.

“Security forces from Kirkuk Operations Command launched the operation early this morning, targeting the heart of Zghaitoun Valley west of Kirkuk, near the Saladin border,” the source told Shafaq News.

The operation's objectives include dismantling ISIS cells operating in the valley, which has been a hotspot for intermittent terrorist activities. "The mission involves closing infiltration gaps, destroying hideouts used by the militants, and severing their movement routes in the valley," the source added.

Iraq has intensified its anti-ISIS efforts over the years through a coordinated strategy that includes aerial strikes on hideouts, sweeping security operations to recover the bodies of militants killed in clashes, and sustained intelligence-driven arrests.

The group’s strongholds in rugged terrains such as mountain ranges and valleys including makeshift shelters in Kirkuk, Diyala, and Saladin, remain focal points for security operations.