Iraq says 14 ISIS members killed in airstrikes
Iraqi forces said ISIS leaders were among those killed in the desert strikes, as discussions on the US troop presence in the country and the group’s persistence in neighboring Syria continue.
The Iraqi military announced on Friday that 14 Islamic State (ISIS) members were killed in airstrikes, including senior members of the group.
Iraqi intelligence determined the location of four hidden ISIS hideouts in the Al-Hazimi area, located in the desert east of Wadi al Ghadaf, in Iraq’s western Anbar province, after conducting air and ground surveillance for two months. Airstrikes were carried out against the hideouts Thursday morning local time, followed by “clashes” with those fleeing. A total of 14 ISIS members were killed, with unnamed “important leaders” in the group among the dead, Iraq’s Security Media Cell said in a statement.
Why it matters: ISIS remains active in Iraq, albeit with degraded capabilities. The US Congressional Research Service noted in a May report that the group “continues to wage a low-level insurgency” in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
“As of early 2024, UN sanctions monitors reported that IS was ‘effectively suppressed’ in Iraq and Syria but remained a threat,” read the report.
