Iraqi forces seize 126 explosives in two Kirkuk villages and arrest ISIS terror suspect
Iraqi forces on Thursday announced the seizure of 126 explosive devices belonging to the so-called Islamic State (IS) during a search operation in areas located southwest of Kirkuk Province.
The Iraqi Federal Police said in a statement that their forces conducted searches in the villages of Tal al-Shaer and Kodelah, the mountain range of Qara Botak, al-Kathip, and Yarnja, as well as the Abu Shama valley.
It added that the operation “resulted in the confiscation of 109 explosives in Tal al-Shaer and 17 others in the various other regions.”
A suspect accused of supporting IS was arrested in Tal al-Shaer under the anti-terrorism law, the statement said, adding police discovered seven Kalashnikov rifles, as well as two grenades, at his hideout.
The Iraqi forces have been carrying out combing operations in remote and desert areas between the triangle area linking the province of Kirkuk with Salahuddin and Diyala.
The campaigns have succeeded to some extent in reducing the extremist group’s activity in the region, which has escalated in recent months.
Despite Iraq declaring victory over IS last December, the group continues to carry out random ambushes, kidnappings, suicide attacks, and execution-style killings.
On Tuesday, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the central Kirkuk neighborhood of Wasit killed one civilian and injured two others, police told Kurdistan 24.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the blast, residents said they suspect IS sleeper cells to be involved.
Source: Kurdistan 24
