"ISIL militants arrested this night 35 former intelligence officers of the Iraqi army… to the west of the city of Hawija, and took them to the undisclosed direction," a law enforcement source was quoted as saying by Al Mada Press.
The officers were detained for "cooperation with the Iraqi security forces," which continue offensive toward Al-Zab area near Hawija.
Kirkuk lies some 108 miles away from Mosul, considered to be the terror group’s main stronghold in Iraq. The Iraqi government launched on October 17 an operation to retake Mosul from the ISIL, which is outlawed in Russia and many other countries.
SPUTNIK/MNA