ISIS ‘Anbar security official’ among militants who blew themselves up during raid

ANBAR — Two Islamic State militants detonated explosives during a security operation that surrounded their hideout in Anbar, with one identified as the group’s so-called “Anbar security official,” the National Security Service said Friday.

The agency said its units, acting on intelligence, surrounded the hideout housing the militant and two companions. “During the surrounding operation, the terrorists detonated themselves,” the statement said.

The Popular Mobilization Forces said a joint force carried out the raid, including the Anbar Sector Operations Command, PMF brigades 57 and 13, the National Security Service and the Iraqi army’s 28th Brigade.

Following the explosion, security forces continued search operations at the site and surrounding areas, seizing weapons and silencers.

The operation was part of “preemptive intelligence efforts to pursue terrorist cells and prevent any security threat,” the statements said.

On the same day, Iraqi army and PMF forces discovered ISIS tunnels and hideouts during a joint operation east of Salah al-Din, finding three tunnels with two rooms, along with logistical materials and rocket launch bases.

The operations come as Iraq expands its role in handling Islamic State detainees transferred from northeastern Syria, with courts investigating hundreds of suspects and agencies reporting ongoing terrorism-related arrests.