The Iraqi army yesterday announced that a number of Daesh fighters had been killed in their hideouts during an operation carried out by the Special Operations Forces (ISOF) with the support of the international coalition’s air force in Kirkuk governorate. The operation was reported via a statement issued by the Counter Terrorism Bureau that includes the ISOF, which is a military division trained and armed by the United States. The statement, reported by the AFP, said: “The Iraqi Special Forces carried out a pre-emptive operation in the mountains of Ghura, south of Al-Dibs district in Kirkuk governorate, with the support of the international coalition’s air force, led by the US.” “The operation, during which the aircrafts of the US-led coalition launched 11 air strikes, resulted in the death of several Daesh fighters,” it added, without specifying the exact number of casualties. The statement pointed out that the operation also resulted in “the destruction of eight caves where the terror group’s fighters were hiding and preparing explosive devices.” This comes in the wake of a number of violent attacks carried out by Daesh fighters in the country. In 2017, Iraq declared victory over Daesh however sleeper cells have continued to spread terror across the country.