Kurdish presence in Islamic State IS ranks grows: Iraqi military

KIRKUK, Iraq,— The number of Kurdish militants fighting alongside Islamic State group (ISIS/IS) in Iraq is rising, with security officials identifying Kurdish fighters in key insurgent strongholds, military sources said.

A senior military official told Voice of America VOA-Kurdish that at least 56 ISIS fighters have been identified in areas spanning Kirkuk and Salahuddin provinces, with 11 believed to be Kurdish. The militants are operating in small, mobile units to avoid detection, the source said.

According to Wahab Ahmad, the administrator of Zanane subdistrict in Khurmatu, Kurdish ISIS fighters include both Iranian nationals and Kurds from Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.

ISIS maintains footholds in remote areas, including Wadi Shay in Kirkuk, Zarga in Khurmatu, and Gharao-Palkan. The group has adjusted its tactics to evade airstrikes, relying on motorcycles for movement and dispersing into smaller groups.

A Kurdish security source in Salahuddin confirmed a growing Kurdish presence in ISIS, saying, “We have seen more Kurdish fighters among ISIS ranks in Kirkuk. Some are Iranian Kurds.”

One of the identified militants is Abu Jabani, an Iranian Kurdish bomb-maker responsible for modifying weapons for ISIS, the source said.

Gharao-Palkan, located in Khurmatu district, serves as a crucial ISIS hub, linking Kirkuk, Diyala, and Salahuddin provinces. The area is used for regrouping fighters and coordinating attacks.

On February 19, 2025, Kurdish shepherds in Gharao-Palkan clashed with ISIS fighters attempting to kidnap them, resulting in an exchange of gunfire, according to security sources.

Iraqi and Kurdish forces have ramped up counterterrorism operations in the region, targeting militant hideouts. Wahab Ahmad said the focus is on restricting ISIS movements, though direct engagements with the militants have been limited.

Iraqi airstrikes continue to hit ISIS positions in the area, disrupting their ability to regroup and launch attacks, officials said.

The Islamic State (ISIS) emerged from al-Qaeda in Iraq, a militant group founded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the early 2000s. After Zarqawi’s death in 2006, the group rebranded as the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) and later expanded into Syria during the country’s civil war, rebranding again as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in 2013.

Under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS seized large territories in Iraq and Syria, declaring a so-called “caliphate” in 2014. The group became infamous for brutal tactics, mass killings, and terrorist attacks worldwide.

A U.S.-led coalition, along with Iraqi and Syrian Kurdish forces, eventually dismantled ISIS’s territorial control, though remnants of the group continue insurgent activities.

(With files from VOA)