Counter-terrorism forces arrest two wanted suspects in Baghdad

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service said Wednesday it had arrested two suspects wanted on terrorism charges in separate operations in Baghdad, acting on intelligence surveillance and judicial warrants.

The service did not name the suspects or say which group they belonged to.

An Iraqi Army brigadier general and a warrant officer were killed on Wednesday when an explosive device left by ISIS went off as troops searched a hideout in Kirkuk governorate that Iraqi jets had bombed the day before, the Defense Ministry said. On Oct. 10, security forces killed a suspected ISIS militant and surrounded three others after an attack on a Federal Police position in Hawija district, a military intelligence source told 964media.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi formally declared the end of the international coalition’s mission on Sept. 30, saying Iraq now takes full responsibility for its security, and the last U.S. and coalition forces left Erbil Air Base that day. He has since ordered higher readiness and stepped-up intelligence work across the security forces, said Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the commander-in-chief. “After 12 years of joint work to confront terrorism, the need for the international coalition forces to remain has ended, beginning a new phase of bilateral cooperation between Iraq and coalition countries on the basis of mutual respect,” Numan said. Kurdistan Region Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed said last month that Iraqi and Kurdistan Region forces “can be relied upon to fill that vacuum” and urged Baghdad to build bilateral ties with coalition members.

ISIS lost its territory in Iraq in 2017 but still operates through small cells, particularly in rural and remote areas.