Iraqi Counterterrorism Forces Eliminate ISIS Fighters Ahead of US-Led Coalition Withdrawal

Iraq's Counterterrorism Service (CTS) successfully neutralized two suspected ISIS suicide bombers in the northern province of Kirkuk, occurring just days prior to the scheduled withdrawal of US troops from the country. According to the CTS, its forces engaged in a clash with three terrorists identified as remnants of ISIS in the town of Altun Kupri, situated north of Kirkuk city. Two of the militants, who were outfitted with explosive belts, were killed during the encounter, while their driver sustained injuries and was subsequently arrested. No information regarding their nationalities was disclosed.

Major General Saad Maan, spokesperson for the Iraqi Security Media Cell, reported that Sunday's clashes resulted in the tragic death of a civilian and injuries to two CTS personnel. The CTS emphasized that the operation was executed in alignment with judicial directives and formed part of ongoing security and intelligence initiatives aimed at eradicating terrorist cells. A formal statement released by the agency declared its commitment to maintaining qualitative operations against the remnants of terrorism in order to safeguard Iraq's security and the safety of its citizens.

Altun Kupri is geographically positioned along the transit route connecting Kirkuk and Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. Since the territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq late in 2017, surviving factions have continued to operate in small, clandestine cells across remote environments such as deserts and valleys, making urban armed clashes a rarity. This operation preceded the impending withdrawal of US forces scheduled for Wednesday, which marks the conclusion of the combat mandate held by the US-led anti-ISIS international coalition in Iraq.

Under the terms of a 2024 accord between Baghdad and Washington, the conclusion of the coalition's military mission will be succeeded by a bilateral security partnership centered on advisory roles, training regimens, and intelligence sharing. While US forces have already vacated several military installations across Iraq, a reduced contingent will maintain operations in Kurdistan until September 30 to support counter-ISIS efforts in Syria.

This strategic shift has triggered intense political debate within Iraq. Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi's administration and allied factions, including the Co-ordination Framework—the largest parliamentary bloc composed of Iran-backed political parties and militias—argue that domestic security forces are fully prepared to maintain independent security and that ending foreign combat deployments restores complete national sovereignty. Conversely, political opponents, such as select Sunni and Kurdish politicians alongside security analysts, have voiced anxieties regarding the capability of Iraqi forces to contain ISIS without the air power, intelligence, and logistical backing provided by the coalition. Critics caution that the lingering low-level threat posed by ISIS could exploit security vacuums left by the withdrawal, particularly in rugged, contested territories between federal forces in Baghdad and Kurdish forces in Erbil.

The historical backdrop includes the 2003 US-led international invasion of Iraq intended to topple Saddam Hussein’s regime under the pretext of uncovering weapons of mass destruction, which were never found and subsequently plunged the nation into protracted instability. Although US forces completed a withdrawal by late 2011 leaving a minimal footprint for embassy protection and training, foreign combat troops returned in 2014 after ISIS captured roughly a third of the country while US-trained security forces collapsed. In a recent interview broadcast on Iraqi TV, Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani expressed apprehension that a repeat of the 2014 scenario could unfold, noting that when ISIS previously advanced, the Iraqi government urgently appealed to the US, European nations, and NATO for intervention.