Two Iraqi officers killed in clash with ISIS suspect in Fallujah

ANBAR — Two officers from Iraq’s National Security Service were killed on Monday during a confrontation with a wanted suspected terrorist in Fallujah, a security source told 964media. The suspect had reportedly returned to Iraq after prison breaks in Syria.

The security source confirmed that the officers, from the Anbar Security Directorate, were engaged in a raid targeting Jomaa Al-Sayel, a convicted member of ISIS sentenced in absentia. Al-Sayel had fled to Syria and returned to Fallujah following the opening of prisons during the ongoing conflict.

“The raid took place at a residential home in Amiriya, Fallujah, where Al-Sayel was hiding,” the source said. “Upon the raid, intense clashes erupted, resulting in the deaths of two security officers.”

The source noted that Al-Sayel was considered a high-priority target due to his involvement with ISIS and that further operations are underway to address potential threats in the region.

As Syrian rebel forces advanced rapidly across the country over the last week, they liberated thousands of prisoners from government detention facilities. Notably, inmates were freed from the notorious Saydnaya Prison near Damascus, infamous for systematic torture and executions. Similar releases occurred in Aleppo, where detainees from the Tarek Bin Ziad prison were set free. These mass releases led to widespread jubilation among freed prisoners and their families.