Iraqi police announce arrests in alleged ISIS sleeper cell in Kirkuk

KIRKUK – Iraqi Federal police announced the arrest of six individuals suspected of being part of an alleged ISIS sleeper cell in the Al-Abbasi subdistrict of Kirkuk, according to a statement released Monday by the Ministry of Interior.

The arrests were carried out by the 12 th Brigade of the Federal Police’s 3rd Division, with support from intelligence teams and a detachment of the Popular Mobilization Forces in the village of Al-Arisha.

“The joint forces apprehended six suspects and seized items including ISIS flags, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and a quantity of explosive materials,” the ministry said.

The detainees, along with the seized items, have been handed over to the relevant authorities for further investigation.

Though Iraq’s efforts to combat ISIS remnants continue to yield results, repeated incidents have developed following the declaration of military victory over the Islamic State in December 2017.

Earlier this month, the Sulaymaniyah Security Directorate reported the arrest of two individuals suspected of being members of the Islamic State terror group. The arrests were carried out the previous night in the Bani Maqan area of Chamchamal, Sulaymaniyah, based on actionable intelligence.

Despite these successes, ISIS has managed to exploit security gaps in areas with limited oversight. To counter this threat, Iraqi security forces, often working in coordination with international partners, have ramped up efforts to dismantle the group’s remnants. A joint U.S.-Iraqi operation in October led to the death of Jassim al-Mazroui Abu Abdul Qader, ISIS’s leader in Iraq, along with eight senior members in the Hamrin Mountains.