Iraqi police apprehend two senior IS leaders, fugitive in Baghdad
Iraqi security forces launch a major operation to stem out IS cells
Anbar (Iraqinews.com) – Iraqi police forces arrested on Sunday two senior Islamic State (IS) leaders and a fugitive from an Iraqi prison in Baghdad, the Iraqi police media center was quoted as saying.
In a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Alghad Press, the center said, “Federal police forces arrested two senior IS leaders after infiltrating into Baghdad coming from Anbar.”
“The two were taken to a detention center for interrogation,” the statement added.
In a separate statement, the center said troops of the Baghdad Operations Command arrested “a man who escaped from the Prison of Badosh at a security checkpoint in the Iraqi capital.”
Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses a threat against stability in the country.
Thousands of IS militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since a government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and a U.S.-led international coalition, was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.
In December, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members.
The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over 3 million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.