ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A suspected member of the Islamic State (ISIS) was killed in an "ambush" by security forces in Kirkuk on Saturday, a local official said.
"For four days, Iraqi anti-terrorism forces have been attempting to arrest or kill this militant. This morning, they set up an ambush for him," said Abdulmutalib Najmadin, mayor of Kirkuk's Prde subdistrict. "They fired at him using a sniper and killed him."
The suspected ISIS member's body was handed over to Prde police to be transferred to the Kirkuk forensic department, the official added.
Iraqi security forces have not commented on the operation.
ISIS seized large swathes of territory in northern and western Iraq in 2014 before being defeated in 2017 after three years of intense fighting. Despite this defeat, the group continues to pose a security threat, particularly in disputed areas between Erbil and Baghdad spanning Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Salahaddin provinces.
Separately, a Prde resident has been missing since late last night, with some suggesting he may have been kidnapped by ISIS. However, a police spokesperson told Rudaw that ISIS involvement has not been confirmed.
"Nothing is clear yet… but we are working to find him as quickly as possible," said Amer Nariman.
