Iraqi forces kill 2 ISIS members in disputed Kirkuk: report

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi security forces killed two members of the so-called Islamic State in the disputed Kirkuk province, a police official said on Sunday.

According to Kirkuk Police Chief Ali Kamal, a successful operation in the rural area of Riyad town led to the deaths of two Islamic State terrorists, Anadolu Agency reported.

Kamal added that Iraqi forces had launched “a large-scale inspection” in the region “to prevent malignant plans of terrorists.”

On Saturday, Iraqi police announced the death of two more Islamic State “leaders” in Kirkuk and the arrest of a former member of the group’s feared “Islamic Police” in Mosul.

Iraq’s Ministry of Interior announced in a statement that “during operations following up and tracing the movement of the ISIS fighters in a village in the subdistrict of Riyad in Kirkuk, the police force was able to kill two ISIS leaders and destroy their hideout, along with confiscating weapons and explosives inside.”

Read More: Iraqi police kill 2 ISIS 'leaders' in Kirkuk, arrest 'Islamic police' member in Mosul

Baghdad declared an official military victory against the Islamic State in late 2017, but the group continues to launch insurgent attacks, ambushes, and kidnappings across much of the country.

Officials from the Kurdistan Region and Iraq have repeatedly warned of a possible resurgence of the terrorist group. 

As a result, security forces continue to hunt down remnants of the extremist organization across the country in attempts to prevent those loyal to it from regrouping and making a resurgence.