Iraq sweeps Tarmiya for ISIS militants
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraqi security forces launched a pre-dawn sweep in Tarmiya, north of Baghdad, on Wednesday after surveillance systems identified suspected militant activity.
A security source told Shafaq News that drones and thermal sensors tracked five armed individuals in the Azari orchards, prompting troops to seal off the area and fire mortar rounds to clear a path for ground units.
The operation was still underway at the time of reporting.
Despite its territorial defeat in 2017, ISIS remains active in Iraq, particularly in the Triangle of Death (Kirkuk, Saladin, and Diyala), through sleeper cells that engage in guerrilla warfare, assassinations, kidnappings, and extortion to destabilize the region.
In early 2025, security operations across nine provinces eliminated 50 ISIS fighters and led to the arrest of more than 40 others.
Read more: ISIS regroups in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon: a new strategy?
