Iraqi PMF Arrest Senior ISIS Commander in Major Security Operation

By Staff, Agencies

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) announced the arrest of a senior ISIS leader described as one of the group’s most dangerous and prominent field commanders, following what authorities called a highly significant security operation.

In a statement, the PMF said the detainee was responsible for planning and overseeing ISIS terrorist operations, as well as organizing sleeper cells in the Mosul desert and across Syrian territory.

The arrested commander reportedly infiltrated from Syria into Mosul and played a central role in coordinating ISIS detachments operating in northern Iraq and eastern Syria.

The PMF described the arrest as a major blow to the group’s operational network and a key step in ongoing efforts to dismantle remaining ISIS structures in the region.

Commenting on the development, Iraq’s defense minister said the country’s borders are fully under the control of the armed forces.

He stressed that the Iraqi army possesses strong capabilities and clear security plans to address any potential threats, adding that regional developments are being closely monitored and that no threat, including ISIS activity, will be allowed to undermine Iraq’s security.

The announcement came as the PMF’s 25th Brigade reinforced its deployment along the Iraq–Syria border, coinciding with the redeployment of Syrian government forces into parts of al-Hasakah and Raqqa following a ceasefire agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.