ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish counterterrorism forces conducted operations against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Erbil province, arresting two arms smugglers of the group, the anti-ISIS global coalition said on Thursday.
“Today the CTD [The Directorate General of Counter Terrorism] conducted operations in the Al Zaytun area of Erbil, Iraq which resulted in the capture of two #Daesh arms smugglers. These operations deny Daesh the ability to smuggle, store and transport weapons," read a tweet from the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant.
Kurdish counterterrorism forces in Erbil have yet to report the arrests.
This comes weeks after ISIS killed at least 20 members of Peshmerga forces and three civilians in areas disputed between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, especially areas which border Erbil city.
ISIS claimed on its propaganda channel on Telegram earlier this month that it has killed 23 members of Peshmerga and injured 14 others in the disputed areas in nine days.
ISIS seized control of swaths of land in Iraq in 2014. It was declared territorially defeated in 2017, but continues to carry out bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions across several provinces.
Peshmerga officials have blamed the deadly ISIS attacks on a lack of coordination between them and Iraqi forces in the disputed areas.
