Asayish arrests ISIS leaders in coordinated operations
Shafaq News/ The Directorate of Asayish in al-Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan Region, announced the arrest of several terrorist groups and individuals affiliated with ISIS, including field commanders and high-risk operatives, on Wednesday evening.
The Directorate's statement indicated that the Asayish General Operations Directorate had gathered precise intelligence regarding the activities of these ISIS-affiliated groups. The information suggested that these groups were reorganizing and planning multiple terrorist attacks, including the assassination of senior security personnel.
Following extensive surveillance and meticulous field investigations, the Asayish forces confirmed the intelligence and identified all suspects. With the approval of the Asayish investigative judge, a detailed operation plan was developed.
In four successful operations conducted on July 3 and subsequent days, Asayish forces, in collaboration with the Shahrzor Asayish Directorate, apprehended 11 terrorists across Halabja, al-Sulaimaniyah, the al-Sulaimaniyah Correctional Facility, Garmian, and Chamchamal.
Among the arrested were three highly dangerous ISIS commanders: Diyari Saadi, the field commander for Halabja and Shahrzor; Ikram Khalid, alias Haj Ikram, responsible for dispatching terrorists abroad; and Sherko Abdullah, the security commander, in addition to eight other terrorists.
During interrogations, the detainees confessed to plotting the assassination of senior military and administrative officers and planning multiple terrorist operations within the Kurdistan Region.
Further investigations revealed that an escaped terrorist, Bilal Mahmoud, alias Yakhi - the Rebel, currently in the UK, was connected to the group and had been directing the dissemination of extremist ideologies and recruitment for ISIS.
Despite significant progress in combating ISIS, the Kurdistan Region continues to face threats from infiltrating militants and sleeper cells.
The Kurdish armed forces, namely the Peshmerga and Asayish forces, have been crucial in reclaiming territories and dismantling ISIS networks. However, the persistent nature of these threats necessitates ongoing vigilance, improved intelligence, and international cooperation to ensure long-term stability and security in the Region.
