Militant killed, nine others arrested, northeast of Diyala: Military
Iraqi forces patrol an area in Iraq during a military operation to push out Islamic State. File Photo
In a statement, Brig. Gen. Yehia Rasool, spokesperson for the center, said “Federal Police carried out an operation called ‘Revenge of the martyrs’ to purge regions, east of Diyala road. A terrorist was killed, while a booby-trapped vehicle was destroyed.”
Nine suspects were arrested, the statement said, adding that a training facility was found.
On Monday, eight Islamic State members were killed in an airstrike on Mutaibija region on the borders between Diyala and Salahuddin provinces, an official was quoted saying.
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.
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 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June, 2014.
In December, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced gaining control on all the territories that were captured by Islamic State, since 2014. However, the group still has dormant cells, through which it carries out attacks, across Iraq like it used to do before 2014.