Iraqi Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons conduct a training mission over Iraq May 26, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Russ Scalf)
On June 24, the Iraqi Air Force (IQAF) eliminated a detachment of ISIS terrorists in the northern province of Kirkuk, according to the official Security Media Cell.
In a statement, the cell said that F-16IQ fighters targeted the cell that was hiding in the district of Rashad based on information provided by the Federal Intelligence and Investigation Agency. Video footage of the pinpoint airstrikes were released by the cell.
Quickly after the airstrikes, units from the Iraqi Armed Forces arrived at the scene where the dead bodies of several terrorists were found along with weapons and other equipment. One of the slain terrorists was wearing an explosive belt that was dismantled by military engineers.
The Security Media Cell said that the airstrikes were a response to ISIS recent attacks in Kirkuk. On June 10, the group’s terrorists killed two Iraqi officers and wounded three soldiers in a surprise attack near the village of Multaqa in al-Dibis district.
ISIS influence in Kirkuk is especially strong in areas bordering the autonomous Kurdistan region. A disagreement on security procedures between the region’s authorities and central government in Baghdad has left most of these areas unguarded.
The IQAF stepped up its operations against ISIS in the last few months in cooperation with local intelligence agencies, killing and wounding dozens of terrorists.
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