Daesh senior militant nabbed in Iraq's Anbar

By Ibrahim Saleh

BAGHDAD (AA) – Iraqi forces arrested a Daesh senior militant in the western Anbar province, according to the country's defense ministry on Monday.

In a statement, the ministry said the detained militant was close to Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, without identifying him.

The militant was arrested in the city of Heet in Anbar, without giving further details.

In mid-2014, Daesh overran roughly one third of Iraq, including the northern city of Mosul.

By late 2017, the Iraqi army -- with the help of a U.S.-led military coalition -- had recovered most if not all lost territories from the notorious terrorist group.

Although officials in Baghdad say Daesh’s presence in the country has been largely eradicated, the terrorist group has continued to stage sporadic attacks in Iraq's Nineveh, Kirkuk, Diyala, Saladin and Anbar provinces.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara