Iraqi airstrikes kill two suspected ISIS militants in Saladin

The Iraqi Air Force regularly launches airstrikes against the suspected positions of the terror group, whose self-proclaimed “caliphate” was toppled in 2017.
An Iraqi Air Force F-16IQ Viper fighter jet parked at Balad Airbase in Saladin province. (Photo: AFP)
An Iraqi Air Force F-16IQ Viper fighter jet parked at Balad Airbase in Saladin province. (Photo: AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – At least two suspected ISIS militants were killed by Iraqi airstrikes in the Saladin governorate on Saturday, according to a statement from the military.

The movement of the militant group was monitored 10 kilometers away from the airstrike site, the Security Media Cell, the military’s media, announced on Saturday.

The statement did not provide further information on the location or the identities of the targeted militants.

The Iraqi Air Force regularly launches airstrikes against the suspected positions of the terror group, whose self-proclaimed “caliphate” was toppled in 2017.

Although the group was territorially defeated, it still poses risks to both civilians and security forces in remote areas and the disputed territories.

A Kirkuk police officer along with his driver was ambushed by suspected ISIS militants last week. They were both later found dead. Also, at least nine police officers were killed in an ambush last December in the province.

Once controlling large swathes of land in both Iraq and Syria, the group’s militants are estimated to be around 6,000-10,000 fighters, according to a United Nations report last July.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal recently, Prime Minister Mohammad Shia’ Al-Sudani said that because the threat from the group still exists, the presence of the US-led international coalition against ISIS in his country is necessary to assist and train both the Kurdish Peshmerga and the Iraqi army.