Source: Iraqi Forces foil terror plot in Kirkuk, one suspect recently returned from US

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Iraqi security forces thwarted a terrorist plot in the northern city of Kirkuk, with one of the suspects having returned from the United States just days before, a security source said.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that "initial information indicates that the arrested terrorist arrived in Iraq three days ago from the US and was staying in the Sekanian area, north of Kirkuk. The second suspect, who died by suicide during the raid, was a 17-year-old male."

Investigations are ongoing to uncover further details, and the identities of the terrorists are still unknown, the source added.

Earlier on Wednesday, a source revealed to Shafaq News that a joint force of the National Security Agency, local police, and the Al-Sulaymaniyah Counter-terrorism Unit conducted a security operation in the Sekanian neighborhood targeting a "very dangerous" group.

Clashes erupted during the operation, resulting in one suspect taking his own life, another being arrested, and a third escaping to an unknown location.

Two officers were wounded during the mission.

Despite being declared defeated in Iraq in 2017, ISIS remnants continue to operate in rural and less secure areas, including Kirkuk. The group's persistence in Kirkuk is linked to the region's strategic importance and ongoing security challenges, which ISIS exploits to launch attacks and maintain a presence.

Groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda have recruited and trained “jihadists” from various countries to carry out operations in Iraq, further complicating the security situation. These fighters, once inside the country, have been responsible for numerous suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism.