‘Emir’ of ISIS arrested in Iraqi crackdown in Mosul as thousands face trial

Iraqi security forces arrested a senior ISIS leader in Mosul as the country tries thousands of men and women for joining the militant group to try to contain its resurgence.

“Ibrahim Meshal Hassan Marei, ISIS’s so-called emir, was arrested on Saturday night after a security crackdown in Al Entesar district in eastern Mosul,” said Nineveh chief of police, Gen Hamad Al Jabouri.

Despite declarations of the group’s defeat, ISIS sleeper cells have remained active across Iraq. During the past few months, security officials estimate that between 150 and 200 armed forces members have been killed in ISIS ambushes and attacks.

US and Iraq security officials have repeatedly warned that the country’s north could easily fall back into the militants’ hands.

Recent attacks across Kirkuk, Nineveh, and parts of Salahuddin and Anbar governorates have also killed dozens of civilians in an offensive that could disrupt parliamentary elections next month.

Attacks on security officials in Kirkuk have increased markedly in recent months, Iraqi member of parliament Arshad Salehi told The National. “We condemn the heinous attacks on security officials,” Mr Salehi said. “We urge citizens in Kirkuk to take precaution during the run-up to elections.”

On Wednesday, ISIS killed three police officers and wounded three others in Kirkuk.

Local media also reported that an ISIS fighter with an anti-tank guided missile was arrested on Saturday in Baghdad.

Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi admitted this month that the country was still engaged in a fight against ISIS sleeper cells. In December he declared victory over the group after security forces drove them from the last territory under their control.

Yesterday, ISIS threatened to target polling stations during the elections. In an audio message, the group’s spokesman said anyone who voted “would be considered an infidel”.

Mr Al Abadi is seeking another term after taking office in September 2014, shortly after much of the Iraqi military collapsed in the face of an ISIS advance in which a third of the country fell.

He has been praised for holding the country together after such a humiliating defeat but has since been criticised for a hardline policy of convictions against even low-level ISIS members.

Yesterday, Iraq sentenced 19 Russian women to life in prison after being convicted on charges of terrorism, including providing support to ISIS. In February, Human Rights Watch criticised Iraq for unfair trials that handed harsh sentences to women convicted of supporting ISIS.