Iraqi authorities arrest two IS members, one returning from Syria: Spokesperson

According to the Iraqi Judicial Spokesperson, the suspect had seized a large cache of weapons and admitted to “forming two terrorist units to destabilize security and stability in Mosul.”

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi judicial authorities on Sunday announced the arrest of two Islamic State (IS) members, one of them detained while returning from Syria to Mosul.

The spokesperson for the Supreme Judicial Council, Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar, said in a statement that security forces arrested one of the members, a security official for IS, upon his return to Iraq from Syria.

According to Birqdar, the suspect had seized a large cache of weapons and admitted to “forming two terrorist units to destabilize security and stability in Mosul.”

Another suspect, who worked as an arms supplier for the extremist group in Mosul, was arrested as well, the spokesperson said.

Birqdar added that “the competent investigating judge extracted the confessions of the two defendants in accordance with the provisions of article 4 of the anti-terrorism law.”

Iraqi security forces, with the help of Kurdish Peshmerga and US-led coalition airstrikes, liberated Mosul from IS last year. Mosul was once the group’s major stronghold in the country.

Iraqi security forces patrol a district in Mosul after liberating it from the Islamic State, July 2017. (Photo: AFP)
Iraqi security forces patrol a district in Mosul after liberating it from the Islamic State, July 2017. (Photo: AFP)

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense on Sunday revealed it had killed 36 IS members in a rare cross-border operation in Syria last week.

“These strikes have achieved their objectives. We were able to locate the terrorist elements based on the information of the Directorate of Military Intelligence. The impact of these strikes killed 36 terrorists, including leaders,” Iraqi military spokesperson Yahya Rasool said in a statement.

Iraqi F-16 warplanes crossed into Syria on April 19 to carry out the attack near the city of Hajin in coordination with the Syrian government.

Iraq has witnessed an IS resurgence of its own in recent weeks with the group claiming a string of bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings in areas previously liberated by Iraqi forces.