Iraqi Officer Killed in ISIS Clash as Counterterrorism Operation Continues in Kirkuk

Peregraf- An Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) officer was killed during clashes with Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Kirkuk province on Sunday as Iraqi security forces continued a large-scale operation targeting the group's remaining sleeper cells.

The CTS announced the death of First Lieutenant Hassan Khudhair Zughair, describing him as having been killed while confronting ISIS militants during operations in Kirkuk.

"It is with profound sorrow and grief that we announce to our honorable Iraqi people the martyrdom of the heroic fighter, First Lieutenant Hassan Khudhair Zughair, during clashes with ISIS terrorist gangs in Kirkuk province," the CTS said in a statement.

The operation follows Iraqi airstrikes carried out a day earlier against ISIS positions in the Dibis district of northern Kirkuk.

According to Iraq's Security Media Cell, Iraqi Air Force F-16 fighter jets conducted precision strikes on ISIS hideouts located along the boundary between federal government-controlled territory and the Kurdistan Region after five days of intelligence surveillance.

The strikes were coordinated by the Joint Operations Command's Targeting Cell and carried out with intelligence provided by the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in cooperation with the Counter-Terrorism Service.

Separately, the CTS announced that its forces had seized a large ISIS ammunition cache in the Hamdaniya district of Nineveh province.

Authorities said the cache contained rockets, mortar rounds, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and other military equipment.

The Counter-Terrorism Service said its forces continue to conduct specialized operations across Iraq to eliminate remaining ISIS cells and maintain security.

Although ISIS lost the territory it controlled in Iraq in 2017, the group continues to carry out attacks and maintain sleeper cells, particularly in the disputed territories between Baghdad and Erbil, including Kirkuk, Diyala, Nineveh, and Salahaddin provinces.