Man arrested in Baghdad under suspicion of promoting ISIS propaganda

BAGHDAD – Baghdad’s Al-Rusafa Police Command arrested a suspect accused of promoting Islamic State group propaganda during an operation conducted at a restaurant in the Karrada area on Monday.

In a statement, it said, “After continuous day-and-night efforts by patrols from Al-Zaafaraniya Police Department and Al-Zaafaraniya Emergency Police, authorities monitored the movements of a wanted suspect.”

The statement added, “According to information indicating that the suspect was involved in spreading and promoting ISIS terrorist group activities in the Al-Zaafaraniya area.”

The suspect was reportedly also holding “secret meetings with suspicious groups” and frequently disappearing from sight.

Following surveillance and coordination with Karrada Police Department, an ambush was set up at a restaurant in Karrada, where the suspect was apprehended.

Upon inspecting the suspect’s phone, authorities discovered videos linked to “criminal extremist groups,” according to the statement. The suspect has been detained pending further legal procedures.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also referred to as Daesh in Arabic, is responsible for extreme violence, human rights violations, and acts of genocide in Iraq and Syria ISIS seized large swaths of Iraqi territory in 2014, including key cities such as Mosul, Tikrit, and Fallujah.

By 2017, ISIS was militarily defeated in Iraq through the combined efforts of Iraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, and support from a U.S.-led international coalition. Despite this military defeat, ISIS remnants continue to function as an insurgent force, conducting sporadic attacks and maintaining a foothold in remote regions of Iraq.