Over twenty IS members with fake identities arrested in Mosul
Representational photo.
“Joint security troops carried out a security campaign in three districts in southeast of Mosul including Sumar, al-Salam and al-Sahiroun,” Lt. Gen. Iyad Hussein al-Assali, from the local police, told Dijlah TV website on Friday.
“The districts were besieged and targeted. Twenty-five IS members were arrested,” he added.
Information from the residents, according to Assali, helped in arresting the suspects, “who were revealed to have been with fake identities.”
Security measures was imposed in Mosul on Thursday after two policemen were killed and three Islamic State militants infiltrated into southeast of the city.
On Wednesday, news reports mentioned that six out of 20 militants, who previously infiltrated into Mosul, were killed in southeast of Mosul.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi declared in July victory over IS militants who had held the second largest Iraqi city since 2014. More than 25,000 Islamic State militants were killed throughout the campaign.
Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition and paramilitary troops, have been fighting since October 2016 to retake territories Islamic State had occupied.
The war against IS has displaced nearly five million people, with tens of thousands of civilians and militants killed since the launch of the offensives to recapture occupied cities.