Kirkuk: Three new airstrikes were carried out by Iraqi F-16 fighter jets targeting ISIS hideouts and strongholds north of Kirkuk. The Joint Operations Command announced the execution of these airstrikes following the “martyrdom” of an officer in the Counter-Terrorism Service and the killing of an ISIS member during a field search operation.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Command stated in a press release that a force from the Counter-Terrorism Service was dispatched to inspect the sites targeted by airstrikes on Saturday. The operation took place in the border areas separating the federal government and the Kurdistan Region, near the Dibis district. During the operation, a clash occurred, resulting in the martyrdom of a first lieutenant and the killing of an ISIS member.

The statement further detailed that at 10:45 AM, Iraqi F-16s carried out three precise airstrikes targeting the remaining ISIS hideouts and strongholds in the same area. These strikes were executed based on intelligence information and in coordination with the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, the Counter-Terrorism Service, and the Kurdistan Region’s commando forces.

It was noted that search operations and assessments of the strike results are ongoing, with the extent of the losses inflicted on the organization to be announced later. Earlier today, the head of the Counter-Terrorism Service mourned the loss of First Lieutenant Hassan Khudair Zughair, who was killed during armed clashes with ISIS militants in Kirkuk province.