Iraqi counterterrorism forces arrest ISIS sleeper agents

NINEVEH, Iraq – The Iraqi National News Agency said on Friday that the Iraqi counter-terrorism forces arrested members of an ISIS sleeper cell in al-Qayyarah district of the Nineveh governorate, northern Iraq.

“The counterterrorism forces arrested a sleeper cell consisting of 6 terrorists (…) who were intending to carry out operations against the security forces and destabilize security,” the agency stated.

This comes in conjunction with a campaign launched in northeastern Syria by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to pursue these cells near the Syrian-Iraqi border.

“After investigations, information gathering, cooperating with the Global Coalition forces to combat terrorism and coordinating with the Iraqi army, our forces began a campaign to deter terrorism,” the SDF general command said earlier on Friday.

Although ISIS does not hold any territory, its sleeper cells are noticeably active, especially in the border areas of both Syria and Iraq.