Iraqi police kill Islamic State security official in Kirkuk
Iraqi soldiers carry their weapons during a mission against Islamic State in Iraq
Kirkuk (Iraqinews.com) – Federal police of Iraq killed on Monday the so-called Islamic State (IS) security official in Hawija district in Kirkuk, a police chief was quoted as saying.
“Troops of the federal police, in coordination with the Iraqi intelligence service, killed Ahmed Talaat al-Turkmani, codenamed as Abu Omar al-Turkmani, in a joint operation in Shalaka area, south of Kirkuk,” Knooz Media quoted Federal Police Chief Raed Shaker Jawdat as saying in a statement.
“Al-Turkmani was responsible for the security file in Hawija and Riyadh districts in Kirkuk,” Jawdat added.
In October, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared that Iraqi troops recaptured Hawija, a main town held by Islamic State in the country.
The town had fallen to IS in June 2014, when the militant group seized control of much of northern and western Iraq and proclaimed the creation of a self-styled “caliphate”.
There, Islamic State’s reign forced thousands to flee to refugee camps, while hundreds had been executed by the group for attempting to escape the area or contacting security forces.
The offensive on Hawija began on 21 September and has involved army, police and special forces units, as well as the Shia-led paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces.
Despite the victory over IS in the city, observers say IS is believed to constitute a security threat even after the group’s defeat at its main havens across Iraqi provinces.