Kirkuk security command said Wednesday it killed two Islamic State members and arrested a third in the northwest of the province as Iraqi forces continue to clear the country from remnant militant cells, like reported by iraqinews.com.
Alsumaria News quoted Kikruk Operations commander, Fadel Omran, saying that troops carried out a security operation on the Dibis-Hawija road, combing the area for Islamic State hideouts.
He said the efforts led to the “killing of two terrorists and the arrest of a third”.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over the Islamic State in the country last Saturday, marking the end of a three-year war against the militant group which proclaimed a self-styled “Islamic Caliphate” in 2014.
Kirkuk’s southwestern town of Hawija had been a major stronghold for Islamic State fighters. There, the militants held thousands of civilians and executed hundreds for attempting to escape the town or collaborate with security forces.
Iraqi forces took over the town in early October after nearly two weeks of combat.
Some commentators have warned that the group might still represent a security menace even after the loss of its territorial influence through lone wolf attacks or the formation of a new militant entity.
