Iraqi army arrests 12 suspected ISIS financiers in Kirkuk

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday evening, the Iraqi army arrested 12 individuals suspected of financing ISIS from a Kurdish village in Kirkuk province, a security source reported.

The source told Shafaq News, "An army unit detected, using thermal cameras, the movement of two ISIS members transporting food supplies on a motorcycle near the outskirts of the village of Haftakhar in the Daquq district, south of Kirkuk."

The source noted that "the detainees are currently under investigation, and a large-scale security operation has been launched to search for the two ISIS members."

Despite its territorial defeat in 2017, ISIS maintains a significant presence in Iraq through sleeper cells that engage in guerrilla warfare, assassinations, kidnappings, and extortion to destabilize the region. They blend into local populations, making them challenging to detect.

Since the beginning of 2024, Iraqi forces have ramped up counter-terrorism operations across several provinces, including Saladin, Kirkuk, Diyala, and Al-Anbar. These efforts have led to the destruction of numerous hideouts, the capture of ISIS members, and the elimination of several high-ranking leaders.

Military officials confirmed to Shafaq News that ISIS is no longer capable of conducting large-scale operations, but isolated elements are exploiting security gaps to reestablish a presence in the region.