Iraqi forces kill two ISIS members in Kirkuk operation

KIRKUK — Iraqi anti-terrorism forces killed two Islamic State group members Wednesday night during an operation in the Zghaitoun Valley in southeastern Kirkuk, a security source told 964media.

The source said the fighters were part of a group under surveillance for five days. “Tonight, Iraqi anti-terror forces entered the area and killed two fighters,” the source said.

Both individuals were reportedly wearing explosive suicide vests and carrying M4-type rifles. The source did not provide an estimate of the total number of group members but said only the two were located during the operation.

The Islamic State group, which declared a so-called caliphate in 2014, once controlled major cities in Iraq including Mosul and Tikrit. It was declared defeated in 2017 following military campaigns by Iraqi forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, and a U.S.-led coalition. Despite the loss of its territorial strongholds — with its last enclave in Syria falling in 2019 — the group continues to launch sporadic attacks from remote hideouts.

A United Nations report published in January 2024 estimated that between 3,000 and 5,000 ISIS fighters remain active across Iraq and Syria.