Iraqi security troops arrested 12 militants and found Islamic State families west of Nineveh

Iraqi joint forces have arrested twelve terrorists and found families of Islamic State members in the depth of desert, within operations carried out, west of Nineveh.

“Army, police and al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) started today an operation combing Hatra region and the desert, west of Nineveh,” an army source told Alghad Press on Friday.

The troops, according to the source, “arrested 12 Islamic State wanted members, in addition to destroying two tunnels and detonating 23 bombs.”

“Joint forces found families from Biji town, north of Salahuddin, living in the depth of al-Jazira region,” the source added.

Last week, seven Islamic State members were arrested after attacking a checkpoint for Federal Police and managed to kill a policeman. Troops also arrested Islamic State member, who was in charge of carrying out executions, called Abu Saif al-Hilaly, in al-Rashidiya region, northwest of Mosul.

Thousands of Islamic State militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June, 2014.

In December, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced gaining control on all the territories that were captured by Islamic State, since 2014. However, the group still has dormant cells, through which it carries out attacks, across Iraq like it used to do before 2014.

Source: Iraqi News