Over twenty Islamic State members arrested in operation, northwest of Mosul
Iraqi security forces evacuate an injured soldier during heavy fighting against Islamic State group militants in Fallujah, Iraq, Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Fallujah has been locked in a cycle of conflict since 2003, when it emerged as a bastion of the insurgency against the Americans. Militant attacks and bombings were followed by sweeping arrest raids, which further stoked local grievances. In 2004, U.S. troops launched two massive assaults on the city, where they fought their bloodiest battles since Vietnam. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil)
Speaking to BasNews, Lt. Gen. Emad Hassan, of Nineveh Operations Command, said “security troops still besiege al-Atshana mountain for the fourth day in row in Badush village to follow Islamic State members.”
Security troops, according to Hassan, “took the militants and the leaders to the headquarters of Nineveh Operations Command for investigations.”
Troops also “seized four tunnels that the militants use in the mountain.”
On Saturday, Maj. Gen. Hamad Names al-Jabouri, the commander, said troops started an operation in al-Atshana village in Badush town to comb the region. Around 13 leaders, possessing weapons, were arrested while stash of weapons were confiscated.
Last week, unidentified gunmen attacked a house in a village in Badush, killing a father and three of his sons.
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. However, the group still has dormant cells, through which it carries out attacks, across Iraq like it used to do before 2014.