Iraqi security forces announce arrest of four wanted for terrorist offenses

BAGHDAD — Iraq announced Saturday the arrest of four people wanted for terrorism offenses, including two specialists in manufacturing rockets, following a joint operation between the National Security Service and Kurdistan Region’s Asayish forces. The individuals are accused of involvement in attacks targeting security forces and civilians.

“The joint security coordination between our Counter-Terrorism Cell and the General Directorate of Operations in Kurdistan Region’s Asayish resulted in the arrest of four wanted terrorists under Article 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Law,” Iraq’s National Security Service said in a statement.

According to the statement, investigations revealed that the suspects were using forged identification documents to facilitate their movements and evade security monitoring. Two of the detainees were reportedly technicians in ISIS’s so-called “Development and Military Manufacturing Authority” in what was known as Wilayat Anbar under ISIS occupation. They specialized in manufacturing Katyusha rockets, which were used in attacks against Iraqi security forces during the battles to liberate territory from ISIS.

The other two suspects were identified as operatives from ISIS’s Wilayats Nineveh and Dijlah. Both were allegedly involved in direct attacks against security forces and civilians.

At its peak, ISIS divided its territories into administrative regions called wilayats, such as Wilayat Anbar, Wilayat Nineveh, and Wilayat Dijlah, each serving as operational hubs for military activities, logistics, and governance. Anbar acted as a key crossing and supply route due to its desert expanse and proximity to Syria.

On Jan. 2, 2025, Iraqi Military Intelligence forces, operating under the Ministry of Defense, announced the arrest of a suspected ISIS logistics operative in Hawija, Kirkuk governorate.

ISIS continues to exploit security vulnerabilities in territories straddling the Kurdistan Region and the federal Iraq. These areas, spanning parts of Kirkuk, Salah Al-Din, Nineveh, and Diyala governorates, have witnessed a resurgence of ISIS activity, fueled by a lack of coordinated security efforts and administrative overlap.

Recent events underscore the persistent threat. In October 2024, an ISIS ambush near Kirkuk claimed the lives of four Iraqi soldiers and left three others wounded. Just weeks earlier, Iraqi warplanes targeted suspected ISIS hideouts in these contested zones, killing six militants and highlighting the group’s enduring operational capacity.