The operation, devised by the Joint Operations Command and carried out by Iraq’s national intelligence service in conjunction with the counter-terrorism service, struck “the most important” ISIS detachment in Tuz Khurmatu’s Palkana mountains, according to the statement.
“Two air strikes were carried out by F-16 aircrafts, which destroyed this tunnel as well as the rest of the hideouts leading to the killing of all members of the terrorist detachment,” said the media cell, noting that the detachment consisted of seven members according to preliminary information.
ISIS seized control of swathes of Iraqi territory during a brazen offensive in 2014 but it was declared territorially defeated in 2017 when its so-called caliphate in the country fell as Iraqi and Kurdish fighters, supported by a US-led international coalition, claimed back lands lost to the jihadists.
Despite its territorial defeat, the group has continued to pose a serious security threat to the country through hit-and-run attacks, bombings, and abductions in several provinces, particularly in areas disputed between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which stretch across several provinces including Diyala, Salahaddin, and Kirkuk.
Iraq’s air force regularly pursues and targets ISIS hideouts across the country, particularly in the disputed areas.
