Security personnel detain a suspect during a counterterrorism operation in a rural area
Five arrested as ISIS-linked hideouts uncovered in joint Kurdish-Iraqi operations
SULAYMANIYAH — Five individuals accused of ISIS affiliation were arrested and multiple hideouts dismantled during joint security operations conducted across the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk in coordination with Iraqi intelligence services, authorities said.
According to a statement from the Kurdistan Region’s Security Agency in Sulaymaniyah, the operations unfolded in two phases and were based on intelligence-sharing with federal agencies.
The first phase took place on April 29 in the Jawal Bor area of Kirkuk governorate. “In coordination with Iraq’s Military Intelligence Directorate, our units located and dismantled hideouts linked to ISIS activity in the area and nearby valleys,” the agency said. Authorities recovered materials and documents during the raid.
The second phase was carried out between April 30 and May 4 across Kalar, Chamchamal, Halabja, and Sulaymaniyah. Five suspects were detained during this period, with officials alleging the group had entered the area “with the goal of reorganizing.”
The individuals were wanted under Articles 2 and 4 of Iraq’s Anti-Terrorism Law and remain in custody as investigations continue. Authorities did not disclose their identities.