Iraqi airstrikes pounds ISIS base in Kirkuk, killing four

On Tuesday, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command announced that two airstrikes were carried out on the Islamic State of Levant and Iraq (ISIS) militant positions in Kirkuk, northern Iraq, resulting in the deaths of several militants. 

This operation is part of Baghdad's ongoing campaign to track down remnants of ISIS in various parts of the country, particularly in the Hamrin Mountains and the Anbar Desert.

According to an official Iraqi military statement, following three days of surveillance, the Counter-Terrorism Service provided precise intelligence to the Iraqi Air Force about a key hideout in the Laylan area of Kirkuk. Based on this information, the Iraqi Air Force conducted two successful airstrikes using F-16 fighter jets.

The strikes resulted in the reported deaths of four ISIS militants, including a leader whose identity was not disclosed. The military also reported the destruction of weapons, communication devices, and other logistical materials found at the site.

These operations are part of a broader security strategy that began nearly two years ago under Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, aimed at eliminating ISIS members hiding in mountainous and desert regions of northern and western Iraq.

Despite the group's diminished presence, they have continued to carry out sporadic attacks. Earlier this month, an ISIS ambush in Kirkuk resulted in the deaths of four Iraqi soldiers.

*بيان*
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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
{إِنْ يَنْصُرْكُمُ اللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ وَإِنْ يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَنْصُرُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ}
صدق الله العلي العظيم
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بناء على توجيهات السيد… pic.twitter.com/Q8hm35jIud

— خلية الإعلام الأمني🇮🇶 (@SecMedCell) October 15, 2024

In recent months, Iraq has seen a relative lull in ISIS attacks, particularly in the northern and western provinces, due to successful military operations.

However, Prime Minister Al-Sudani has called for sustained efforts to target remaining ISIS elements, directing the Joint Operations Command to carry out pre-emptive strikes against the group.

These ongoing efforts signal Iraq's commitment to eradicating the remnants of ISIS and preventing the group from regrouping, even as the overall security situation has improved in the country.

Despite ISIS losing its so-called "caliphate" where it controlled large swaths of land in Iraq and eastern Syria in 2019, it continues to launch attacks through its scattered cells, which this year have nearly doubled, and tries to recruit more people.