ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi counterterrorism forces on Monday announced arresting five men suspected of being members of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh.
The suspects were arrested as a result of an operation carried out by the Iraqi intelligence agency’s counterterrorism units “based on intelligence provided by citizens,” reported Iraq’s security media cell.
The agency said that they had documents indicating that the men were members of the militant group, adding that the suspects had confessed to receiving payment for being members and that their statements have been referred to relevant authorities.
ISIS seized control of vast swathes of land on both sides of the border in 2014 and was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. While the group no longer controls any territory, it continues to pose a serious security risk through bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions.
Thousands of people have been detained across Iraq since 2014 for suspected links to terrorist groups, including ISIS, while hundreds have been executed.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that at least two ISIS operatives were killed and an additional 24 detained in partnered operations with their allies in Iraq during the month of July.
