Iraqi Forces target ISIS in Southern Saladin

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Iraqi security forces launched a wide-scale operation in southern Saladin to locate the bodies of ISIS militants killed in recent airstrikes by the Iraqi Air Force.

A joint force launched a mission in Al-Zarka, Tuz Khurmatu District, near Daquq – 55 km south of Kirkuk – following targeted strikes on ISIS hideouts, according to a security source.

The Military Intelligence Directorate tracked four ISIS militants in a hideout within Al-Zarka before Iraqi F-16s targeted and eliminated them, according to a statement by the Security Media Cell. "Our preemptive and offensive operations will continue until ISIS is fully eradicated," the statement affirmed.

Iraqi warplanes also struck two ISIS positions in Wadi Al-Shay, within Daquq District, south of Kirkuk, according to a separate security source in Kirkuk, who told Shafaq News that the “airstrikes were conducted based on precise intelligence regarding ISIS presence in the area.”

"Security forces are conducting a follow-up ground operation to verify casualties and assess the impact of the strikes," the source added.

Saladin and Kirkuk remain hotspots for ISIS activity, particularly in remote and rugged areas like Al-Zarka and Wadi Al-Shay, serving as hideouts for ISIS sleeper cells. The region’s rugged terrain and dispute between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have allowed ISIS to use it as a staging ground for attacks.