ERBIL () — Two ISIS militants were killed and a third was captured during a security operation in the Pirde town, also known as (Altun Kupri) of Kirkuk province on Sunday, Iraq’s Security Media Cell said, adding that a civilian was killed and two counterterrorism personnel were wounded in the ensuing clash.
Saad Maan, head of Iraq’s Security Media Cell, said the operation was carried out by a force affiliated with the Second Special Operations Command following detailed intelligence and surveillance.
The force confronted three ISIS militants in the vicinity of Pirde, Maan said.
According to the Security Media Cell, two of the militants were wearing explosive belts and were killed immediately by security forces. The third militant, who was responsible for transporting ISIS members, was wounded and subsequently arrested by Iraqi security forces.
The Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service separately said its forces conducted a special security operation in Kirkuk’s Pirde area, resulting in the deaths of two ISIS militants and the capture of another.
The service said the operation was conducted under a judicial order as part of its continuing intelligence and security efforts to pursue remnants of the extremist group.
The clash also resulted in the death of a civilian, while two members of the Counter-Terrorism Service were wounded, according to the Security Media Cell.
The Counter-Terrorism Service reaffirmed that it would continue targeted operations against ISIS remnants as part of efforts to protect Iraq’s security and the safety of its population.
Although ISIS lost its territorial control in Iraq in 2017, its sleeper cells remain capable of carrying out sporadic attacks, particularly in remote and rugged areas.
Such attacks have periodically targeted Iraqi security forces and Peshmerga forces in the Kurdistani territories outside the Kurdistan Region’s administrative control, where difficult terrain and security gaps can provide militants with opportunities to operate.
