BAGHDAD: The United States President Donald Trump on Thursday announcedthat five “most wanted” Daesh leaders have been captured in Iraq.
“Five Most Wanted leaders of ISIS just captured!,” Trump wrote on hisofficial Twitter account, after the Iraqi state television on Wednesdaysaid the country’s intelligence agency lured the Daesh terrorists intocrossing Syria and arrested them.
Col. Ryan Dillon, the U.S.-led Combined Joint Task Force – OperationInherent Resolve’s (CJTF-OIR) spokesman also mentioned the arrest of fiveDaesh leaders in his Twitter post.
“Iraq captures 5 key Daesh leaders during Operation Round up. The arrest isa significant blow to Daesh…,” he said, adding: “CJTF-OIR is committed tolasting defeat of Daesh and setting conditions for stabilization.”
On Wednesday, the Iraqi state television announced the capturing of thehigh ranking Daesh terrorists and published their photographs and identitycards.
Iraqi security sources, who wished to remain anonymous due to restrictionson speaking to the media, said the terror group’s leader Abu Bakral-Baghdadi is hiding somewhere at the Iraq-Syria border.
Last December, officials in Baghdad declared that Daesh’s military presencein Iraq had been all but dismantled over operations backed by the U.S.-ledInternational Alliance.
However, from time to time, Iraqi officials announce operations againstDaesh-affiliated “sleeper cells” in certain parts of the country.