Shafaq News- Baghdad
F-16 fighter jets carried out three airstrikes on theremaining ISIS hideouts in Kirkuk province, northern Iraq, on Sunday, the JointOperations Command (JOC) said.
The renewed air campaign followed a ground operationlaunched to inspect sites struck on July 4. During the search, Iraqi forcescame under attack. The clash killed one ISIS militant and a first lieutenantfrom the Counter-Terrorism Service.
The results of the operation and an assessment of militantlosses will be announced after inspection and evaluation teams complete theirwork, the JOC noted.
Despite its territorial defeat in 2017, ISIS remains activein Iraq, operating as an insurgent network in remote desert and rural areas,particularly in Diyala, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Al-Anbar. In the first half of2026, Iraqi security forces dismantled four ISIS cells, carried out about 80preemptive operations, and issued 479 arrest warrants under the country'sAnti-Terrorism Law, according to the Interior Ministry.
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