ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS) announced on Wednesday that it had arrested a senior Islamic State (ISIS) member accused of leading a military unit in the militant group during a security operation west of Baghdad.
“A special force from the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) carried out a specialized security mission based on high-level intelligence,” the service announced, noting that “The operation involved setting up a tight ambush in areas west of the capital, Baghdad, which led to the arrest of the terrorist nicknamed ‘Abu Noor,’ identified as (H.T.), who serves as a so-called ‘Military Checkpoint Commander’ within the ISIS terrorist gangs.”
Wednesday's developments come as Iraqi and Kurdistan Region security forces continue intelligence-led operations against ISIS sleeper cells. Although the group was territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017, it has continued to operate through sleeper cells, particularly in Nineveh, Salahaddin, Kirkuk, and Anbar provinces.
“Intelligence indicates that the aforementioned terrorist participated in carrying out numerous criminal operations targeting our heroic security forces and defenseless civilians,” the ICTS noted.
Separately, the Iraqi News Agency (INA), citing the Iraqi National Security Service, reported on Wednesday that the Karkh Criminal Court sentenced six ISIS members to death, including the group's self-proclaimed "Anbar governor." The National Security Service said the men were arrested through "preemptive, high-quality intelligence operations" before being referred to the judiciary.
On Tuesday, the Kurdistan Region's Asayish security agency in Sulaimani announced the arrest of two wanted ISIS suspects and their transfer to Iraqi federal authorities under Article 4 of Iraq's anti-terrorism law, which carries penalties ranging from life imprisonment to death for terrorism-related offenses.
Also on Tuesday night, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said a court sentenced another ISIS member to death after investigations by its Directorate of Investigations and Preventive Security found he belonged to the group's so-called "Iraq willaya [province]Province" and had taken part in an ambush that wounded a PMF officer. The PMF added that its investigation showed ISIS continues to rely on so-called "lone wolves" to carry out attacks individually or in small groups.
