Iraq targets suspected ISIS militants for second consecutive day

On Wednesday, Iraqi F-16s targeted suspected ISIS militants in a remote area of Kirkuk province for the second day in a row. International bodies warn that the radical group remains a threat.

According to the state media, fighter jets targeted a hideout in Zghaitoun Valley, where a number of suspected militants were killed.

Further details about the death toll and identities of the victims were not provided in the press release.

The fighter jets on Tuesday targeted a suspected ISIS hideout in Wadi Shay, a remote area in the oil-rich province, where the radical militants have tried to regroup and reorganize following their territorial defeat in 2017 under Peshmerga forces, the Iraqi military and international coalition against ISIS.

According to the Global Coalition Against ISIS and the United Nations, despite decreased attacks, the threat from the group continues.

The Iraqi air force has increased its air campaign against ISIS remnants since the US-led coalition's anti-ISIS mission concluded in late 2021.

In June, a top Iraqi official said Iraqi airstrikes have killed at least 70 ISIS militants as part of these efforts.

Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, was occupied by the terror group for nearly three years.

It has regrouped in remote parts of the country since its self-styled caliphate was destroyed by Kurdish, Iraqi, and international forces. It continues to carry out hit-and-run attacks against civilians and security forces.

In the disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad, where ISIS is most active, Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga forces regularly conduct joint operations with Iraqi forces against ISIS.