Iraqi fighter jets target suspected ISIS militants for second consecutive day in Kirkuk

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – For the second day in a row, Iraqi F-16s targeted a number of suspected ISIS militants in a remote area in Kirkuk province on Wednesday, as international bodies warn of ongoing threats from the radical group.

The fighter jets targeted a hideout in Zghaitoun Valley, where a  number of suspected militants were killed, according to a statement from Iraqi Military Intelligence, shared by the state media. 

The press release did not elaborate further on the death tolls and identities of those killed.

The fighter jets on Tuesday targeted a suspected ISIS hideout in Wadi Shay, a remote area in the oil-rich province, where the radical militants have tried to regroup and reorganize following their territorial defeat in 2017 at the hands of Peshmerga forces along with Iraqi military and the international coalition against ISIS.

The anti-ISIS operations by the Iraqi forces come as the Global Coalition Against ISIS and United Nations warned that threat from the group is ongoing despite decreased attacks.

Following the conclusion of the anti-ISIS US-led coalition's combat mission in late 2021, the Iraqi air force has increased its air campaign against the remnants of the group.

As part of these efforts, Iraqi airstrikes have killed at least 70 ISIS militants, a top official said in June.

The terror group occupied approximately one-third of Iraq for nearly three years, including its second-largest city Mosul.

Since the group's self-styled caliphate was destroyed by Kurdish, Iraqi, and international forces, it has regrouped in remote parts of the country. It continues to carry out hit-and-run attacks against security forces and civilians.

The Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga forces regularly conduct joint operations with the Iraqi forces against ISIS in the so-called "disputed territories" between Erbil and Baghdad, where the group is most active.