Sulaymaniyah security forces announce the arrest of suspected ISIS media operative

SULAYMANIYAH — Security forces in Sulaymaniyah have announced on Tuesday the arrest of a suspected member of Islamic State’s media branch who had undergone several military training sessions.

In a statement, the General Directorate of Security in Sulaymaniyah stated, “On the night of Nov. 22, 2024, in an operation conducted by the General Directorate of Security Operations, based on intelligence and a judicial warrant, an ISIS media terrorist was identified and apprehended in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate.”

The statement said that the individual, Ghazi Saud Mohammed, had links to ISIS during its resurgence in Iraq. He is alleged to have attended multiple religious and military training sessions before serving as a combatant within one of ISIS’s factions.

After the group’s defeat in Iraq, he moved to Syria and returned to Iraq. Since then, he had been residing in the Shwan area in Kirkuk, before moving to Sulaymaniayh’s Bazian area for work.

The suspect is also accused of renewing allegiance to ISIS as a member of its media branch, producing propaganda videos to incite fear and spread the group’s influence. He is alleged to have filmed and disseminated videos targeting security forces and military installations in the Chamchamal district under the name of “Wilayat Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk,” sharing them on social media platforms.

Following an investigation by technical and military teams from the General Directorate of Security Operations, the individual was arrested. He is currently charged under Article 2 of the Anti-Terrorism Law and has been referred to judicial authorities for prosecution.