In Video: Iraqi Airstrike Wipes Out ISIS Hideout In Hamrin Mountains

Iraqi Air Force F-16s during a training sortie on July 18, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chris Drzazgowski)

On September 3, fighter jets of the Iraqi Air Force (IQAF) carried out an airstrike on a hideout of ISIS in Hamrin mountains in the northern Iraqi province of Saladin.

The Security Media Cell said in a statement that the hideout was targeted based on information provided by the Iraqi National Intelligence Service. The pinpoint airstrike was carried out by F-16 fighter jets. A precision-guided bomb was apparently used to destroyed the hideout.

Following the airstrike, a force from the Saladin Operations Command was quickly dispatched to Hamrin mountains to inspect the destroyed hideout. The exact results of the airstrike are yet to be revealed by the Security Media Cell.

The IQAF has been leading the efforts to end ISIS presence in Hamrin mountains. On August 20, an airstrike destroyed a hideout in the mountain chain where senior leaders of ISIS were taking shelter.

The Iraqi military, intelligence and security forces stepped up their operations against ISIS cells across the country in the last few months. The terrorist group sustained some heavy human and material losses. However, its cells are still active, especially in the wester, northern and eastern regions.

While ISIS will not likely be able to stage an uprising in Iraq like that of 2014 again, its insurgency in the country may go on for years.

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