According to the Anadolu News Agency, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said in a statement that the Iraqi Federal Police, following security information, had launched an operation in the disputed province of Kirkuk in northern Iraq to clear terrorist elements in the area.

During the operation, two terrorist elements were reportedly identified and arrested in the village of Karha, in the Rashad district, south of Kirkuk.

Earlier, the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Organization announced that five ISIS operatives had been arrested in Erbil in cooperation with the province's security forces.

It is worth noting that Five Islamic State (ISIS) suspects were detained in coordination with the Kurdish forces in Erbil, an Iraqi military spokesman said on Tuesday.

“The counter-terrorism service, in coordination with Erbil Asayish, was able to arrest five terrorists belonging to ISIS,” Yehia Rasool, spokesman for commander-in-chief of the armed forces, said in a tweet.

Rasool said the arrests came after Iraqi counter-terrorism chief paid a visit to Erbil governorate.

Iraqi security services have increased coordination with the security forces in the Kurdistan Region to detain suspects, including Islamic State (ISIS) members.

On Sunday, Rasool said a wanted “gang member” was arrested in coordination with the Kurdish forces in Sulaimani.

The federal government announced victory over ISIS by the end of 2017 after Iraqi and Kurdish forces backed by U.S.-led Coalition regained control of areas once captured by the militant group.

Despite its defeat, ISIS still poses a threat to the security and stability of the country as there are still sleeper cells in Iraq.

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