The Iraqi National Security Agency's counterterrorism cell eliminated a terrorist wearing a suicide vest in the Daquq district, southeast of Kirkuk governorate in northern Iraq, according to an announcement by the agency on Friday.

The operation, carried out by the National Security Agency in coordination with the Kirkuk Security Directorate and the Tactical Regiment, was based on precise intelligence and judicial approvals. The terrorist was surrounded and neutralized before he could detonate himself.

This comes at a time when Iraqi political and military officials reaffirm their readiness to confront attempts to destabilize the country's security, following recent developments in Syria and warnings of potential spillover effects into Iraq.

In this context, the Head of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Faleh al-Fayyad, stressed the need to prepare to confront the enemies' diverse and various plots, urging readiness and the necessity to learn from requisites across neighboring countries, as well as domestic events that occurred in 2014. 

In a speech delivered at the Anbar Operations Command on Friday, al-Fayyad stressed that Iraq was preparing for any possible field scenarios, expressing a strong commitment to the people of Iraq and their achievements, especially in light of developments in Syria.

"Today's Iraq does not resemble that of 2014", he emphasized, stressing that no one was allowed to violate its territory or sovereignty. "We will spare no effort in deterring anyone who dares threaten the security of Iraq," he warned. 

Al-Fayyad also confirmed that the armed forces, the military, the PMF, and the Ministry of Interior have made joint efforts to maintain border security, stressing the importance of "upholding unity and being as resolute as a sword's edge in facing anyone who seeks to undermine the security of the Anbar province and Iraq."

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