18 Islamic State members killed in operation, east of Nineveh
Iraqi forces patrol an area in Iraq during a military operation to push out Islamic State. File Photo
A statement by the command, issued on Thursday, said troops “carried out an operation in Qurret Goukh mountains in search for remnants of Islamic State.”
The operation, according to the statement, “left 18 militants killed and explosives seized.”
Last week, eight Islamic State members were arrested in districts of al-Zahraa, Sumar and al-Qadisiya, west of Mosul. Four soldiers of the Iraqi army were killed in confrontations with Islamic State members, northwest of Mosul. Moreover, bodies of three people were found inside a house in Mosul’s Old city, one week after being kidnapped.
Thousands of Islamic State militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016.
In December, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced gaining control on all the territories that were captured by Islamic State, since 2014.
Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country. The group still has dormant cells, through which it carries out attacks, across Iraq like it used to do before 2014.