Although Iraq declared victory over ISIS in December 2017, the terrorist group continues to launch regular attacks, including bombings, kidnappings, and ambushes against both Iraqi security forces and civilians. The extremist group seems to have taken advantage of the recent unrest in Iraq to carry out sporadic attacks, but despite the widespread protests and the ensuing chaos, security forces have maintained their vigilance and persisted in their successful preemptive security campaigns against ISIS.
Iraq’s Ministry of Defense announced the arrest of two senior ISIS leaders on December 28 in Mosul. One of the two suspects detained was a senior operative responsible for the financial affairs of the terror group in Mosul. A week earlier, Iraqi security forces announced the arrest of an alleged IS financier during an operation in the western Anbar governorate. A few days later, on Dec. 25, Iraq’s military announced it had dismantled an IS sleeper cell in Anbar, arresting 14 suspects.
Mosul was previously the so-called Islamic State’s stronghold when the group emerged in Iraqi in mid-2014. Today, Iraq’s military is keen on eradicating the group in its entirety and preventing its remnants from wreaking havoc and claiming innocent lives.
