ISIS Activity Intensifies Across Central Iraq
- Kurdistan 24
- Jul 9
- 2 min read
Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — Maj. Gen. Abdul Khaliq Talaat, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) representative to the Joint Forces Command, warned on Monday that ISIS activity is on the rise across central and northern Iraq, citing fresh intelligence and ongoing operations.
Speaking to Kurdistan24 on June 30, 2025, Talaat stated, “ISIS activity has intensified over the past week, particularly in areas like Khurmatu, Daquq, and the surroundings of Kirkuk.” He further revealed that earlier the same day, several ISIS militants were arrested in Anbar province. “ISIS has not been eradicated; its movements have increased,” he added.
Talaat emphasized that regional instability—especially the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel—has enabled ISIS to regroup and reassert itself. “According to our data, ISIS movements are expanding. Right now, fighting has broken out between ISIS militants and the Iraqi army in Palkana,” he noted.
In a joint security operation involving the Kurdistan Region Security Forces and Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service, three high-ranking ISIS commanders were neutralized.
Among the dead were a sector commander and two unit leaders operating in the Palkana, Daquq, and Khurmatu areas. Talaat emphasized that these regions remain unstable and vulnerable to insurgent infiltration. “No weapon comes into those regions without a cost,” he said.
Talaat also confirmed that over the past week, ISIS militants had been observed in Anbar, Salahaddin, Diyala, and the regions of Khurmatu and Daquq. “It’s now clear that central Iraq—often discussed in this context—remains an area of threat from ISIS, and they’re exploiting the region’s volatility,” he told Kurdistan24.
A statement released by the Kurdistan Region Security Agency on Sunday, June 29, corroborated Talaat’s comments. It announced the success of a joint operation conducted with Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Directorate in the Palkana–Tawirk area. In a direct confrontation, security forces killed three ISIS operatives:
Ayman George Ahmad al-Obaidi, known by the alias "Adam," the commander of the Suleiman Beg sector;
Hussein Ali Khalaf Habib al-Mafraji, also known as Abu Azraa;
Yaqub, referred to as Abu Jaban.
The operation represents a significant blow to ISIS's leadership structure in the region but also highlights the enduring presence of the militant group in Iraq's central and northern belts.
Security officials continue to monitor the situation closely, amid concerns that the deteriorating regional security landscape may further embolden ISIS to expand its operations.
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