Iraqi security forces killed six ISIS militants in the region of Kirkuk. According to the statement, the corpses of six ISIS militants were found who were struck in Iraqi army airstrikes in the Kirkuk region days earlier, including a senior militant. The Iraqi Defense Ministry’s Security Media Cell reported that a “preemptive” operation was executed in Mount Hamrin by Iraqi Air Force F16 jets, targeting an active hiding place for terrorists.

In addition to the six militants who were slain, one of the victims was Abu Ubaida, the supposed Deputy Assistant Governor of ISIS. “These preemptive measures, which are based on reliable intelligence, have been effective in dismantling defeated remnants of the terrorist outfits,” the security cell explained. These Iraqi army campaigns are part of a wider campaign to eliminate ISIS, resulting in the execution of tens of militants over the past months. 

Current State of ISIS in Iraq:

As of early 2025, the Islamic State (ISIS), though defeated territorially in 2017, will continue to feature as a leading threat in the country. Indeed, the movement has evolved with a decentralized, operational model, still conducting attacks by and large at the rural, less secure levels across Iraq and parts of Syria in the first six months of the year 2024, claiming total attacks of 153. 

These statistics indicate that the group will significantly up the operational tempo as compared to past years. In Iraq alone, there were 137 partnered operations conducted by U.S. Central Command and Iraqi Security Forces that led to the deaths of 30 ISIS operatives and the detention of 74 others during this period.

Iraqi Security Forces Counter Measures:

Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) has enacted several counter-terror measures with a view toward containing the prevailing ISIS and similar terror groups threats. These consist of military and strategic measures which collaborate to help achieve national stability and security. Since the loss of its land-based territories back in 2017, much change has been undertaken within the structure of the ISF. 

Improvements in both advanced technologies to be used on the ground and better training for members of the armed forces ensure their better execution in counter-terror operations. The ISF conducts operations alongside international partners with the US CENTCOM on an ongoing basis; the main effort of such operations is the fragmentation of ISIS’ networks and disruption of the senior operatives of such networks, thus recent reports over 130 last year alone.