Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Security services have arrested more than twenty Islamic State members in several operations in Nineveh province, while weapons and explosives were seized in their possession, security sources said on Saturday.

Speaking to BasNews website, Cap. Amir Watheq, from Nineveh police, said, “security troops arrested eight Islamic State members, possessing hand grenades in Makhmur, southeast of Mosul.”

“Troops cordoned off the area, where the militants were hiding and invaded their houses, then took them to Nineveh Operations Command headquarters for investigations.”

All hand grenades, in their possession, were confiscated.

In related news, Col. Khodier Saleh, of the Federal Police, said, “security services arrested an IS cell, composed of 15 members, which was planning to to attack troops deployed in western Mosul.”

“The cell members, were possessing weapons. All were arrested inside a tunnel,” he added.

Thousands of Islamic State militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against security troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced, in December, full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members.





</s>Baku. 10 March. REPORT.AZ/ Iraqi army seized control of large areas in Anbar province and killed 350 suspected Daesh militants within four days of its ongoing operation in the area, the Iraqi military said in statement late Monday.

According to the Iraqi army’s Military Operations Command, Iraqi armed forces launched an operation on al-Karma area four days back, which also destroyed 20 heavy machine guns and 20 vehicles; 382 improvised explosive devices were also dismantled, the statement added.

Major-General Qasem al-Mohammadi said that the Iraqi army, backed by al-Hashid al-Sha’bi Shia militia and the Iraqi air forces, took over al-Kanater and al-Rashad areas and three villages in eastern Falluja in al-Karma area.

Al-Karma police chief Lieutenant-Colonel Ali Ibrahim al-Halbousi and Daesh commander Wisam Hussein al-Ezzawi were also killed in clashes Monday, Major-General Kazem al-Fahdawi, Anbar’s police chief, told AA.

Abu Jasim Duleymi, a leading figure in Anbar’s Fallujah city, said Monday that the bodies of 103 suspected Daesh militants were taken to Fallujah General Hospital. Duleymi also said that the militant Daesh-controlled hospital received a total of 47 injured militants.

"Daesh buried the bodies of its militants in mass cemeteries in Fallujah and non-Iraqi doctors are treating the injured militants," he added.

The figures provided by the officials could not be independently verified because of limited access to free media in the region.

Clashes between Iraqi forces and Daesh have been ongoing since June 2014 when the armed group seized Mosul and other territories in Iraq.

Daesh is the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorist group.
Iraqi security services announce the arrests of 20 suspected Islamic State militants in raids in Nineveh.