ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi security forces on Saturday arrested an alleged “dangerous” leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) in an operation in the western Anbar province’s Fallujah district, state media reported.
“The Iraqi National Security Service was able to overthrow one of the most dangerous leaders of the terrorist organization ISIS, nicknamed (Abu Hiba), who is wanted according to Article 4,” state media said, citing a statement from the service.
The suspect was a “security official” for the group in its so-called Fallujah province and “confessed to the existence of a cemetery containing the bodies of martyrs from the security services,” the statement added.
“With his guidance, the location of the cemetery was discovered within Fallujah district and the remains of the victims, numbering 3 martyrs, were extracted,” the service said, and investigations are ongoing to uncover the rest of the victims.
He is wanted with Article Four of the Counter-Terrorism Law of 2005, which 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.
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.
The militants have taken shelter in a security vacuum in areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad, stretching across several provinces including Kirkuk, Salahaddin, and Diyala.
Earlier in July, at least five members of Iraqi security forces were killed in a deadly skirmish with ISIS in Diyala province.
The next day, a member of the Kurdish internal security forces (Asayish) was killed in a clash with ISIS fighters in Kirkuk’s Qarahanjir subdistrict.
“The Iraqi National Security Service was able to overthrow one of the most dangerous leaders of the terrorist organization ISIS, nicknamed (Abu Hiba), who is wanted according to Article 4,” state media said, citing a statement from the service.
The suspect was a “security official” for the group in its so-called Fallujah province and “confessed to the existence of a cemetery containing the bodies of martyrs from the security services,” the statement added.
“With his guidance, the location of the cemetery was discovered within Fallujah district and the remains of the victims, numbering 3 martyrs, were extracted,” the service said, and investigations are ongoing to uncover the rest of the victims.
He is wanted with Article Four of the Counter-Terrorism Law of 2005, which 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.
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.
The militants have taken shelter in a security vacuum in areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad, stretching across several provinces including Kirkuk, Salahaddin, and Diyala.
Earlier in July, at least five members of Iraqi security forces were killed in a deadly skirmish with ISIS in Diyala province.
The next day, a member of the Kurdish internal security forces (Asayish) was killed in a clash with ISIS fighters in Kirkuk’s Qarahanjir subdistrict.
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