On Monday, airstrikes by Iraqi warplanes destroyed ISIS positions in near Kurdistan city of Kirkuk. This is the fourth operation against the group in this area in nearly five weeks.
Key Points
- The airstrike took place on Monday, 10 August 2026, and destroyed ISIS hideouts in new the Kurdistan city of Kirkuk.
- The Iraqi Military Intelligence Directorate stated that it had "detailed and confirmed" information on the presence of ISIS militants in the targeted locations.
- This is the fourth operation against ISIS in this area in nearly five weeks, following previous continuous strikes.
- On 20 July, Iraqi forces conducted an airstrike and ground attack on six suspected hideouts in Wadi Zgaitoon.
- Earlier, a counter-terrorism officer was killed while inspecting the sites of previous strikes north of Kurdistan city of Kirkuk. Following that incident, F-16 jets carried out three more airstrikes with the assistance of federal forces and Kurdistan region commando forces.
- Iraqi aircraft conducted air patrols before the strikes and coordinated with the targeting team at the office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
- These operations are part of ongoing efforts to eliminate the remnants of ISIS, which, after its defeat in 2017, remain active in mountainous and desert areas.
Details
According to a statement by the Iraqi Security Media Cell, Monday's airstrikes were carried out based on precise intelligence provided by the Military Intelligence Directorate. Before conducting the strikes, the Iraqi Air Force conducted intensive aerial patrols in the area and coordinated with the targeting team at the office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. No casualty figures were announced, and further details were not disclosed.
This is the fourth operation against ISIS in and around Kurdistan city of Kirkuk in the past five weeks. On 20 July, Iraqi forces carried out an airstrike and ground attack on six suspected hideouts in the Wadi Zgaitoon area. Before that, a counter-terrorism officer was killed in a clash with militants while inspecting the sites of previous strikes north of Kirkuk. Following that incident, F-16 fighter jets carried out three more strikes, with the participation of federal forces and Kurdistan Region commando forces.
The Hamrin mountain region near Kirkuk is an area of ongoing activity by ISIS remnants. At the end of 2024, Iraqi forces, with the help of coalition forces, conducted a major operation in which seven militants were killed and more than 20 hideouts, tunnels, and caves were destroyed.
ISIS in 2014 occupied a vast area of north and west Iraq. At that time, the only force that could resist ISIS was the Kurds, and no one else had the ability to fight against ISIS. But in 2017, with the help of Kurdish forces and the international coalition, ISIS was defeated at the hands of the Kurds.
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