CTG Forces Arrest Suspected ISIS Member In Sulaymaniyah

CTG Kurdistan on Facebook

Qusay Mohammed Shuker Mahmoud, the man arrested on terrorism charges in Sulaymaniyah.

The Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG) of Kurdistan has announced the arrest of a wanted terrorist on charges of working with the Islamic State (ISIS) in Baghdad and later residing in Sulaymaniyah.

In a statement, the CTG said its forces arrested Qusay Mohammed Shuker Mahmoud, born in 1981 and originally from Baghdad, during a special operation based on detailed intelligence.

According to the statement, Mahmoud confessed to joining ISIS in 2014, initially taking part in activities related to mosques and preaching. He said he later pledged allegiance to the group through a member identified as Abu Ayyub and worked with the organisation for around seven to eight months.

The CTG said he was subsequently provided with weapons and assigned guard duties, for which he received a monthly payment of 180,000 Iraqi dinars.

Following the collapse of ISIS, he fled to the Kurdistan Region and settled in Sulaymaniyah province, according to the statement.

ISIS captured large parts of Iraq in 2014 and declared a self-styled “caliphate,” leading to widespread violence and mass displacement. Although Iraq declared victory over the group in 2017, ISIS remnants remain active, particularly in disputed territories between the federal government in Baghdad and Erbil.

These areas—including parts of Kirkuk, Nineveh, Diyala, and Saladin provinces—continue to face threats from ISIS elements who engage in ambushes, kidnappings, and extortion targeting both civilians and security personnel.

Security forces regularly carry out joint operations aimed at eradicating these remaining terrorist networks.



PUKMEDIA