Abu Hiba
Iraqi authorities announce arrest of ‘Islamic State leader’
ANBAR – The Iraqi National Security Service has captured a significant Islamic State leader, known as Abu Hiba, in Anbar, officials reported. During interrogation, Abu Hiba allegedly admitted his role as the security official for the Fallujah district under ISIS control and disclosed the location of a mass grave in Fallujah’s Al-Musalaha cemetery.
The grave contained bodies of security personnel and civilians, with five individuals found, two of whom have been identified. “The number of victims found aligns with Abu Hiba’s confessions,” stated Arshad Al-Hakim, spokesperson for the Iraqi National Security Service.
The Islamic State, which proclaimed a caliphate in 2014, was declared defeated in Iraq in 2017. Despite this, remnants continue to pose threats. Iraq received custody of another ISIS leader from Lebanon, known for financing terrorist activities and recruiting suicide bombers.
In June, Iraqi forces arrested a wanted terror suspect in Tal Afar under anti-terrorism laws. Since May, excavations at the Alu Antar mass grave in western Nineveh have been underway, revealing the remains of victims from ISIS’s reign between 2014 and 2017. During their control, ISIS abducted about 1,200 Tal Afar residents, with many still unaccounted for.
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