In a targeted airstrike on Sunday, the Iraqi Air Force successfully eliminated at least two suspected ISIS militants in a remote area of Saladin province. The strike, conducted in Wadi Al-Abra, also obliterated a hideout believed to have been utilized by the extremists, according to an official press release by Yehia Rasool, spokesperson for the Iraqi commander in chief.

Details surrounding the operation remain limited, with the statement emphasizing the ongoing efforts to eradicate ISIS remnants in the eastern and northern remote areas, post the group's territorial defeat in 2017.

Since the conclusion of the US-led Coalition's combat mission in late 2021, the Iraqi Air Force has intensified its air campaign against the lingering threat posed by ISIS. Notably, in June, Iraqi airstrikes were reported to have resulted in the death of at least 70 ISIS militants.

The notorious terrorist organization previously occupied approximately one-third of Iraq, including the strategic city of Mosul, for nearly three years. Despite the destruction of its self-styled caliphate by Kurdish, Iraqi, and international forces, ISIS has regrouped in remote parts of the country. The group continues to carry out sporadic hit-and-run attacks targeting both security forces and civilians.

To counter the resurgence, joint operations are regularly conducted by the Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga forces and Iraqi counterparts, particularly in the "disputed territories" between Erbil and Baghdad, where ISIS remains most active. The collaboration aims to curb the terrorist group's activities and maintain stability in the region.