Iraq announces arrest of 'IS leader' in Kirkuk governorate

Iraq announced on Monday the arrest of an alleged Islamic State group leader in Kirkuk governorate in the country's north.

Major General Yahya Rasool, spokesperson for the Iraqi armed forces' commander-in-chief, said a "terrorist leader nicknamed Abu Hamza Al-Mutawaiti" had been arrested by counter-terror forces, The New Arab's Arabic sister service, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, reported.

Security forces also announced the launch of an operation from around Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city recaptured from IS in 2017.

Iraqi army and members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) militia umbrella are seeking to "pursue Daesh [IS] remnants in those areas and fill any gap that terrorist gangs may exploit to implement their operations against civilians or security forces".

The Iran-backed PMF was formally made part of the Iraqi military in 2016.

While IS has been militarily defeated in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, the extremist group continues to carry out guerilla attacks.

In a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria's Daraa city, an 11-year-old was killed as local groups previously part of the opposition's Free Syrian Army, as well as the Assad regime's Eighth Brigade forces, fought with IS elements.

Hussam Saleh Mohammed died on Tuesday after being shot "indiscriminately", said Assem Al-Zoubi, head of the violations documentation office at the Horan Free League media group.