The Iraqi military announced in consecutive briefings on Thursday that a pair of Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists, one of whom was a prominent regional commander, were neutralized during two targeted aerial bombardments in the eastern province of Diyala, the Xinhua news agency reported.
According to the Security Media Cell of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, Iraqi F-16 combat aircraft executed the precise strikes against the terrorists’ hideout. The operation succeeded after an extensive, months-long surveillance initiative paired with highly specific intelligence gathering.
One of the eliminated terrorists was identified as Mohannad Karim Ali, a high-ranking local figure within the terrorist network.
ISIS overran large swathes of Syria and neighboring Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" in land it controlled.
Several military offensives, including those backed by the US-led international coalition, have since seen ISIS lose most areas it once controlled, including the loss of their de facto capital in Raqqa, Syria.
However, ISIS sleeper cells remain in the area and continue to carry out deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq.
In addition to the elimination of ISIS terrorists, Iraqi authorities regularly report the arrest of suspected ISIS members as part of ongoing counter‑terrorism operations.