Three arrested in Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk over alleged ISIS propaganda

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — Kurdistan Region security forces arrested three people in Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk on suspicion of links to ISIS, the Kurdistan Region Security Council said in an evening statement. The suspects were captured following intelligence work and security information sharing conducted in April and June 2026. Investigators found the suspects had initially attempted to join the group through so-called "hijrah" migration before turning to online propaganda after security measures were tightened, according to the council. They are accused of running 10 accounts and pages on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Telegram and YouTube to publish videos, images and posts spreading the group's ideology. Earlier statements by the detainees indicated they had targeted young people and adolescents to encourage them to adopt extremist ideas and join the group, the security body said. The three are being held under the second article of the counter-terrorism law while legal proceedings continue, it added, with no further details made immediately available.