Alleged ISIS member accused of killing 19 security personnel arrested in Baghdad

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s National Security Service announced Tuesday the arrest of a member of the Islamic State group in Baghdad, accused of involvement in attacks that killed 19 members of the army and the Popular Mobilization Forces, including an officer with the rank of captain.

In a statement, the agency said the suspect, identified by the alias “Abu Mohammed,” joined ISIS in 2014 and took part in armed assaults in the Latifiya area south of Baghdad. He later assumed logistical and administrative duties in Fallujah before fleeing to Syria.

The statement said Abu Mohammed returned to Baghdad disguised as a civilian and was arrested following a targeted intelligence operation. He has been referred to judicial authorities for prosecution.

The National Security Service affirmed it will continue tracking down remaining ISIS members across the country.

ISIS declared a self-styled caliphate in 2014, seizing cities including Mosul and Tikrit before being driven out by Iraqi forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, and a U.S.-led coalition in 2017. The group’s last Syrian stronghold fell in 2019, but its remnants remain active in rural and desert areas.

Earlier this month, the Karkh Criminal Court sentenced another ISIS member to death for involvement in armed attacks in Nineveh governorate in 2014, according to Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council.