Military intelligence forces carried out separate operations “through well-planned ambushes and raids on terrorist locations” that “resulted in the arrest of seven terrorists wanted by the Iraqi judiciary under the provisions of Article 4 of the Counter-Terrorism Law in the provinces of Anbar, Kirkuk, and Nineveh,” state media said.
The article says that anyone found guilty of committing a terror offense is given a death sentence, with life imprisonment given to those who assist or hide those convicted of terrorism.
“The terrorists were operating and belonging to ISIS terrorist gangs in various ranks, and had also participated in several terrorist attacks against Iraqi security forces in the past,” the statement added.
ISIS seized control of large swathes of Iraqi territory in 2014. The group was declared territorially defeated in 2017 but continues to carry out bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions across several provinces.
Iraqi security forces have intensified their operations against ISIS cells in recent months, particularly in areas disputed between Baghdad and Erbil, which stretch across the Kirkuk, Salahaddin, Nineveh, and Diyala provinces.
Iraq’s air force also frequently carries out airstrikes against ISIS hideouts in the disputed territories.
In late February, the head of Iraq’s Security Media Cell told Rudaw that Iraqi security forces have largely eradicated ISIS from the country, with only a few hundred militants remaining in remote areas.
