NINEVEH, Iraq: At least five Islamic State members were captured alive in an operation carried out Monday by the Iraqi army’s 16th division and Nineveh Guards Force, according to an officer in the Iraqi army.
Iraqi army’s Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Saad Zubeiri told Anadolu Agency that "a joint fighting force of army’s 16th division and Nineveh Guards Force, dressing as Islamic State members, infiltrated inside Islamic State-held Owaiza area.”
“Our force set up a checkpoint there and managed to capture five of IS members and then brought them to al-Shallalat area," he added.
“Then the five captured were handed over to Iraqi army’s intelligence force in order to investigate with them, with a view to attain the needed information from them, which may help the Iraqi army while fighting inside the IS-held areas,” he pointed out.
No information was available from IS on the development yet.
On Saturday, Iraqi forces resumed their offensive in Mosul -- which began in late October -- after a week-long hiatus.
Iraqi officials have vowed to recapture Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, from IS before the year-end.
The city was overran -- along vast swathes of territory in northern and western Iraq -- by IS in 2014.
