Iraqi intelligence arrests suspected Islamic State financier in Salah Al-Din

SALAH AL-DIN — Iraqi intelligence forces have arrested a suspected Islamic State operative accused of financing and providing logistical support in Salah Al-Din Governorate, the General Directorate of Intelligence announced Saturday.

In a statement, the agency said its Special Tasks Cell conducted the arrest based on what it called “precise intelligence efforts.” The detainee, described as a “dangerous terrorist,” allegedly managed financial and logistical networks for ISIS and served as one of its intelligence operatives. He was taken into custody under a warrant issued under Article 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Law.

The Islamic State group seized major Iraqi cities like Mosul and Tikrit in 2014 and declared a “caliphate,” quickly gaining infamy for its brutality and attacks on minority communities. Although the militants were largely defeated in Iraq by 2017 through combined efforts of Iraqi forces, Kurdish Peshmerga and a U.S.-led coalition, remnants continue to wage an insurgency from remote areas.

A United Nations report released in January 2024 estimated that 3,000 to 5,000 ISIS fighters remain active in Iraq and Syria, posing an ongoing security threat.

Iraq has continued its counterterrorism operations against the group. Earlier this month, the country’s Counter-Terrorism Service carried out three separate missions in the Anbar desert, destroying two vehicles and multiple hideouts linked to Islamic State operatives.