US says captured 'significant' Daesh member in Iraq
A group of US special operations forces deployed to Iraq have reportedly captured a Daesh (ISIL) terrorist operative during a recent raid.
A US official confirmed the news Tuesday, but refused to give out details of raid or the identity of the detainee, who was described as a “significant” member of the terror group, the CNN reported Wednesday.
The militant is currently being interrogated at a temporary detention facility in the city of Erbil in northern Iraq, and will be handed over to Iraqi officials within the next few days.
The attack was carried out by the Pentagon’s expeditionary targeting forces (ETF), deployed to Iraq in December.
The ETF, comprised of 200 personnel, have gathered enough intelligence to conduct missions against about half a dozen “targeted missions” inside Iraq and to go after certain leaders of the group.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which monitors the treatment of detainees, has also been notified of the militant’s detention.
American defense officials said the capture was a big development in battling Daesh, but raises questions about US military’s handling of what is likely to be a growing group of detainees, bringing back the dark memories of prisoner abuse by US troops at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison.
The officials also ruled out establishing a long-term American facility to hold Daesh captives. They also made it clear that none of the detainees will be sent to the US military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
According to US Army Colonel Steve Warren, there are now more than 3,800 US forces on the ground in Iraq to "train and equip" local security forces against foreign-backed militants.
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