Kurdistan Asayish dismantles "dangerous" ISIS network linked to "Wilayat Kurdistan"
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, the Kurdistan Region's Asayish Directorate announced the dismantling of a "dangerous" ISIS network tied to the so-called "Wilayat Kurdistan," avenging the “martyrs of Qaradagh and Shwan” who fell during security operations.
In a statement, the directorate revealed, “The operations, based on precise intelligence and thorough investigations from August 9 to 22, were conducted under the authorization of the Asayish Investigative Judge.”
The campaigns were coordinated with the General Directorate of Counter-Terrorism, Kurdistan Commando Forces, the Iraqi National Security Service, and supported by Iraqi Air Force jets.
The operations targeted multiple areas, including Al-Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk, Halabja, Rana, Shahrizor, as well as Qaradagh, Sangaw, Zambar (زمبور), Surdaŝ mountains, and areas near Chamchamal and Taqtaq. Efforts led to the dismantling of ISIS elements plotting “significant threats,” the directorate affirmed.
Network Goals
The directorate explained that the network aimed to:
- Strengthen links between its sleeper cells in Kurdistan, Iraq, and “terrorists” in Turkiye and Iran.
- Execute attacks in the region.
- Set up fake checkpoints using military uniforms.
- Kidnap traders to fund operations.
- Target security institutions, officials, and military bases.
Losses and Achievements
The operations resulted in the deaths of three Asayish members: Honar Talib, Shamal Mahmoud (Al-Sulaymaniyah Asayish Directorate), and Mohammed Rashid Qadir (Operations Directorate), along with injuries to three members of the Iraqi National Security.
On the operational side, security forces killed five ISIS militants, arrested 14 others, seized large quantities of weapons, explosive belts, and thermal military scopes, and destroyed the network’s bases.
Rehabilitation of Detainees
As part of a “qualitative” security campaign in the Shahrizor area, the directorate indicated that it had arrested several suspects. “After conducting investigations, we successfully rehabilitated them and reunited them with their families, as part of an approach focused on protecting the country and its citizens,” it confirmed.
The directorate considered these operations as “a sign of the Asayish’s commitment to maintaining security and stability in the Kurdistan Region and addressing any terrorist threats to citizens' safety.”
