Security forces uncover ISIS command tunnels in Nineveh

NINEVEH — In a successful operation, Iraqi security forces have revealed an extensive underground network of tunnels and hideouts utilized by ISIS in the village of Abu Maria, located in Nineveh province’s Tel Afar District, according to a statement from the provincial Directorate of Intelligence obtained by 964media.

Acting on precise intelligence, security teams searched specific locations in the Abu Maria area, leading to the discovery of tunnels exceeding 50 meters in length, one meter in width, and two meters in height. The statement did not specify when the tunnels were last used by the group, but the operation comes amid a recent surge in ISIS activity in Iraq and Syria in recent months.

These underground structures served as strategic command centers for coordinating terrorist operations, as stated in the media release. The tunnels were equipped with rooms serving as prisons and caches for weapons and various materials.

The engineering units of the security forces successfully removed these materials and demolished the sites, completely filling in the tunnels to prevent their future use.

Abu Maria, nestled along the main road connecting Mosul to Tal Afar, Sinjar, and Baaj, is a favored destination for local recreation, largely owing to the nearby ancient spring of ‘Ain Al-Ma’a.