Iraqi, Kurdish joint raid destroys ISIS hideouts in Kirkuk
Shafaq News – Kirkuk
Iraqi Army units and Kurdistan Region Commando forces demolished eight ISIS hideouts during a joint security operation in Wadi al-Shay, south of Kirkuk, a security source told Shafaq News on Friday.
The source said that, after receiving precise intelligence on militant activity, the troops also seized important documents belonging to ISIS networks, along with communication equipment and supplies stored in makeshift shelters.
In 2014, ISIS controlled large areas of Iraq before losing its territorial strongholds in 2017 to the Iraqi Army, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and the Peshmerga, with support from the US-led Global Coalition. Despite the territorial defeat, scattered ISIS cells remain active in regions such as Wadi Daquq, Zarka, and Zghaitun in Kirkuk, as well as the borderlands between Saladin and Diyala.
Militants also exploit the rugged terrain stretching northwest, where the Mama Mountain range runs through Al-Dibis district toward the Altun Kupri subdistrict linking Kirkuk with Erbil and Nineveh. These areas continue to provide cover for ISIS remnants attempting to regroup or stage attacks.
Read more: Tracking down ISIS in Iraq: From rugged terrain to DNA identification
