Tracking down ISIS in Iraq: From rugged terrain to DNA identification

Shafaq News/ Since early 2025, Iraqi security forces have intensified operations against ISIS remnants, successfully eliminating prominent leaders and dismantling active cells. Utilizing advanced intelligence and forensic techniques, including DNA analysis, authorities are unmasking militants and securing volatile areas with support from the US-led Global Coalition.

ISIS Exploiting Iraq’s Rugged Terrain

ISIS controlled vast areas of Iraq in 2014 before being territorially defeated in 2017 by the Iraqi Army, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and the Peshmerga, with support from the US-led Coalition. However, scattered ISIS cells remain active in regions such as Wadi Daquq, Zarka, and Zghaitun in Kirkuk, as well as the borderlands between Saladin and Diyala. These militants exploit difficult landscapes, particularly Wadi Al-Shay, where valleys, mountain ranges, caves, and water bodies make military access challenging.

To the northwest, the Mama Mountain range stretches across the Al-Dibis district (70 km northwest of Kirkuk), reaching the Altun Kupri subdistrict, which connects to Erbil and Nineveh. These harsh terrains provide cover for ISIS operatives to regroup and launch attacks against security forces and civilians.

Closing Security Gaps, Targeting ISIS Leadership

The Joint Operations Command (JOC) remains focused on eradicating ISIS presence in these vulnerable areas. According to security expert Ali Al-Bayati, efforts are intensifying in hotspots such as Wadi al-Shay, Zarka, Zghaitun, and the Al-Fatha region of Saladin, where militants continue to seek refuge.

"Full security control over these areas will eliminate any remaining ISIS activity," Al-Bayati told Shafaq News, noting that ISIS still relies on small hideouts to stage attacks.

Al-Bayati pointed out that strengthening intelligence coordination and surveillance has been key to countering these threats.

Since early 2025, Iraqi airstrikes have killed at least 52 ISIS fighters, including high-ranking leaders. "This has significantly bolstered security along the borders of Kirkuk, Saladin, Diyala, and Nineveh," an Iraqi Army officer confirmed to Shafaq News.

"The terrorist group has lost most of its leadership, and those remaining are merely scattered cells hiding in the Hamrin Mountains, valleys, and caves between Kirkuk, Tuz Khurmatu, and Al-Dibis,” the officer added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Global Coalition Support: Drones and DNA

ISIS operatives use rugged terrain to evade detection, making it difficult for conventional ground forces to track them. Retired Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Al-Jubouri explained that “airstrikes in these areas are complicated due to hard-to-reach locations, whether by vehicle or on foot.”

To counter this, Iraqi forces rely on precise intelligence from the US-led Coalition, particularly from American and French forces, for tracking terrorist movements. Coalition drones, according to Al-Jubouri, provide "highly precise aerial intelligence," allowing Iraqi forces to strike deep into ISIS strongholds.

A critical factor in these successful operations is Iraq’s "comprehensive database" of ISIS operatives. Analysts estimate that 90% of eliminated targets were previously detained militants, whose biometric data—fingerprints and DNA—were recorded in US-controlled prisons during the occupation.

In the aftermath of strikes, forensic experts rely on genetic fingerprinting to confirm the identities of dead militants. According to genetics expert Abbas Ahmed, DNA analysis is one of the most precise methods of identification, particularly when dealing with decomposed or heavily damaged bodies.

"One of the most effective methods for DNA extraction is from bone tissue, especially the femur, and teeth, as these preserve genetic material for extended periods," Ahmed explained to Shafaq News. If soft tissues are available, they are also viable for testing, while hair follicles provide a secondary source of genetic material.

When nuclear DNA is too degraded to analyze, forensic teams turn to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, which allows identification by comparing genetic material with maternal relatives. “This has become an essential tool in forensic investigations of ISIS fatalities," Ahmed stated.