Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service continues anti-ISIS operations in coordination with Kurdish Asayish

“The coordination between the CTS and KRG CT entities is by far the most detailed of all Iraqi Federal coordination with KRG.”

Iraq’s Counter Terrorism Services (CTS) arrested four ISIS members in coordination with the Kurdistan Region’s Asayish in Sulaimani province on June 8.

In a tweet on Monday, the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant (SOJTF) said that these joint operations “demonstrate Iraqi security forces are stronger together ensuring the lasting defeat of Daesh (ISIS).”

The Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service frequently cooperates with Kurdish Asayish forces (also known as Internal Security Forces) in the Kurdistan Region against ISIS.

“The coordination between the CTS and KRG CT (Counter Terrorism) entities is by far the most detailed of all Iraqi Federal coordination with KRG,” retired US Army Special Forces Colonel and Middle East Foreign Area Officer David M. Witty told Kurdistan 24 on Monday.

“It has been occurring for years, and there appears to be a level of trust that is missing in other Baghdad-Erbil security efforts.”

On June 6, the Iraqi CTS arrested six ISIS leaders in coordination with the Kurdistan Region’s Directorate of Counter-Terrorism.

Also, on Apr. 12, the Iraqi CTS arrested two suspected ISIS members in a similar joint operation.

Moreover, on Feb. 15, the Iraqi CTS announced the arrest of five suspected ISIS members following a coordinated operation with the Asayish in the Kurdistan Region capital Erbil.

ISIS sleeper cells continue to threaten security, especially in the disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad.

Kurdish and Iraqi forces have carried out frequent operations in rural areas against the extremist group to prevent it from making a resurgence in Iraq.

Coordination between the Iraqi CTS and the Kurdish security services against ISIS has been extensive. It has successfully closed security gaps extending from Diyala to Mosul that ISIS once exploited, CTS head Abd al-Wahhab al-Sa’adi told Kurdistan 24 reporter Shvan Jabari in Baghdad on Saturday.

“We in the Counter-Terrorism Service have high-level coordination with the Kurdistan Region whether in Sulaimani or Erbil,” he said. “During the past period, we have provided the Region with information and dozens of terrorists present in the Region under fake names and with official documents, and ID papers that are also forged have been arrested.”

“Coordination operations are also actively done with the participation of contingents of the Peshmerga, with the Counter-Terrorism apparatus in the Region,” he added.

“God willing, this cooperation continues, and the coordination continues to destroy all terrorism present.”