Islamic State leader and four companions killed in army airstrike south of Kirkuk

An Islamic State leader and four of his companions were killed in an airstrike in south of Kirkuk, a commander said.

“Airstrikes that depended on accurate intelligence information targeted an IS location, which left the Wali of Kirkuk, known as Abu Adam, killed in Wadi al-Shai region, 45 kilometers south of Kirkuk,” Maj. Gen. Ali Fadel Umran, commander of Kirkuk Operations, told AlSumaria News on Monday.

“The airstrike left four companions of the leader killed,” Umran added.

Earlier on the day, Umran announced launching a security campaign to follow the IS militants who escaped Hawija toward Zab region in southwest of Kirkuk.

Officials in the province of Kirkuk previously urged reinforcing military troops in the south and west, as the region still have IS members who escaped during liberation offensives of Hawija and mainly in houses and tunnels at remote areas in Riyad, al-Rashad and between al-Abbassi and Dibis.

The Joint Operations Command announced in October the liberation of each of Hawija, Riyad and al-Rashad. Over 1,300 members were killed during offensives to free Hawija, while over 800 members were killed during the second phase of operations.

Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition and paramilitary troops, have been fighting since October 2016 to retake territories Islamic State occupied in 2014.

Source: Iraqi News