Iraqi police arrest three Islamic State terrorists in Kirkuk

Iraqi security forces arrested on Sunday three militants of the Islamic State terrorist group in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said.

The three terrorists were arrested based on “accurate information in the village of Qushqaye and other neighboring villages” in Hawija city in Kirkuk, Iraqi TV channel Alsumaria News quoted the ministry as saying in a press statement.

They were referred to the Iraqi judiciary for legal action, added the ministry.

In October 2017, former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared that Iraqi troops recaptured Hawija, a main town held by Islamic State in the country.

The town had fallen to IS in June 2014, when the militant group seized control of much of northern and western Iraq and proclaimed the creation of a self-styled “caliphate”. There, Islamic State’s reign forced thousands to flee to refugee camps, while hundreds had been executed by the group for attempting to escape the area or contacting security forces.

Despite the victory over IS in the city, observers say IS is believed to constitute a security threat even after the group’s defeat at its main havens across Iraqi provinces.

Source: Iraqi News