Iraqi forces have over the last two weeks arrested 80 "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) elements who had tried to blend into the population in recently liberated east Mosul, a senior Iraqi military official said Tuesday (February 7th).
Those detained had "shaved their beards, changed their looks and hidden among the population", joint operations command spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasul told Diyaruna.
"Through continuous search and monitoring operations, joint Iraqi forces have identified and arrested 80 terrorists, including senior ISIL leaders, in east Mosul," he said.
"They had not been able to flee the area, so they shaved their beards and posed as displaced people," Rasul said.
"However, residents reported them and they were all arrested," he added.
