Iraqi Forces Find Seven Alleged ISIS Bodies After Friday’s Airstrike in Salah Al-Din
Seven found
Iraqi forces uncover ISIS bodies after airstrike near Al-Zarka
BAGHDAD — Iraqi security forces announced the discovery of seven alleged ISIS militant bodies following an airstrike on Friday in the Al-Zarka area along the Salah Al-Din–Kirkuk border.
The Iraqi Joint Operations Command said a joint ground search operation was launched by Iraqi Special Forces, the East Salah Al-Din Operations Command, and Military Intelligence, with aerial surveillance provided by the targeting cell at Joint Operations Command.
During the operation, forces found seven bodies—some of whom were wearing suicide belts—and seized weapons, logistical materials, electronic devices, and other evidence from the site.
The search followed an airstrike conducted by Iraqi F-16 fighter jets on Jan. 31, targeting a suspected ISIS hideout after military intelligence confirmed the presence of four ISIS operatives inside.
“Based on this precise intelligence, F-16 aircraft executed two airstrikes on the hideout, resulting in its complete destruction and the killing of those inside, who were members of ISIS terrorist gangs,” the Joint Operations Command said in a statement on Friday.
The Islamic State emerged in 2014, capturing major cities like Mosul and Tikrit and declaring a so-called “caliphate.” Known for its extreme violence and attacks on minority communities, the group was militarily defeated in Iraq by 2017 through the efforts of Iraqi forces, Kurdish Peshmerga and a U.S.-led coalition. However, remnants continue to operate as an insurgency, launching occasional attacks from remote areas.
In related developments, on Wednesday the Kurdistan Region’s Asayish security forces announced the arrest of five individuals they allege are ISIS militants in three separate operations on the outskirts of Sulaymaniyah.
Earlier, on Jan. 28, Iraqi Counter Terrorism Forces dismantled several ISIS positions in the desert areas southwest of Mosul, confiscating and destroying various weapons.