Iraq launches operation against ISIS hideouts in Diyala
Shafaq News- Diyala
Iraqi forces launched a coordinated security operation on Wednesday in eastern Iraq’s Diyala province, targeting suspected ISIS hideouts in riverine and forested areas south of the province.
In a statement, the Diyala Operations Command of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) reported that the operation is progressing along two axes, focusing on search missions in the forests and agricultural belts of Abu Karma and al-Mukhaysa on the southern bank of the Diyala River. Units from the Iraqi Army and Federal Police are taking part, with the objective of preventing ISIS remnants from reestablishing safe havens or restoring operational activity.
Read more: ISIS regroups in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon: a new strategy?
Although ISIS lost territorial control in Iraq in 2017, it continues to operate as an insurgent network in rural and desert areas, particularly in Diyala, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Al-Anbar. In January, the Counter Terrorism Service carried out a large raid in the Hamrin mountain range in Saladin, detaining a senior figure linked to the group’s so-called“Bayt al-Mal” (treasury).
The Joint Operations Command reports that counterterrorism raids and airstrikes during 2025 have killed more than 90 ISIS militants, including senior operatives.
Read more: On ISIS defeat anniversary, Iraq confronts a reawakening insurgency
