An Iraqi counterterrorism officer was killed during clashes with ISIS militants in Kirkuk on Sunday as security forces continued a large-scale operation targeting the group’s remaining cells in the province.
The Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS) identified the officer as First Lieutenant Hassan Khudhair Zughair, saying he was killed while confronting ISIS fighters during ongoing military operations.
The operation entered its second day on Sunday, with Iraqi troops backed by fighter jets and helicopters conducting searches to eliminate suspected ISIS hideouts. Authorities also said one ISIS militant was killed during the first day of the campaign.
The ICTS said its forces would continue pursuing the group’s remnants, reaffirming its commitment to eliminating ISIS cells operating in the country.
On Saturday, Iraq’s Security Media Cell said Iraqi F-16 fighter jets, supported by the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, carried out precision airstrikes on ISIS positions in the Dibis district of northern Kirkuk. The strikes targeted hideouts believed to be used by militants in areas disputed between Baghdad and Erbil.
Although ISIS lost the territory it controlled in Iraq in 2017, the group continues to stage attacks and maintain sleeper cells, particularly in disputed areas across Kirkuk, Diyala, Nineveh and Salahaddin provinces.
