Iraq
Makhmour lies within territory disputed between the KRG and the federal government in Baghdad. Graphic: Maps4news, Sarkawt Mohammed / Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Six Islamic State (ISIS) militants were killed on Monday in a joint operation between the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS) and coalition forces in Makhmour, according to the ICTS.
Counter-terror forces carried out the operation in a cave on Makhmour’s Mount Qarachogh, known to host ISIS remnants. Three militants were killed by direct fire, with another three killed in coalition airstrikes.
One ICTS member was “lightly wounded” in the operation, according to a statement, and is in good health.
Mount Qarachogh, located just 60 kilometers southwest of Erbil, has become a safe haven for ISIS fighters since the group’s territorial control of the Nineveh Plains came to an end in mid-2017.
Makhmour is part of a swathe of northern Iraqi territory whose control is disputed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government. Kurdish and Iraqi forces both continue to carry out separate operations backed by the US-led Coalition to root out ISIS remnants.
Sirwan Barzani, Commander of the Peshmerga forces in Makhmour announced the death of 10 ISIS militants in a joint operation with the coalition last month.
ISIS sleeper cells have been able to carry out kidnappings, arson, and ambushes in the disputed territories across northern Iraq, despite being territorially defeated in Iraq in December 2017.
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