By Anas al-Bar | 2025-12-27

Secret agents within terrorist groups are critical intelligence sources. Their trusted immersion allows them to expose up-to-the-minute details of extremist cells.

By guiding authorities directly to the terrorists, their reports lead to arrests and effectively save people from becoming victims of criminal attacks.

In this context, their efforts led to historic successes in the degradation and defeat of the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS).

"Despite strict security and recruit recommendations, ISIS was infiltrated by undercover agents from Iraqi intelligence," security expert Fadel Abu Raghif told Al-Fassel.

He pointed out to the group's oversight in effectively monitoring new recruits' behavior and actions.

The undercover agents, he said, carried out "highly sensitive missions" that led to the elimination of prominent terrorist leaders and brought others to justice.

Al-Sudani: A hero against ISIS

Captain Harith al-Sudani of the Falcons Intelligence Cell of Iraq (Al-Suqour) was identified as one of these heroic agents, Abu Raghif said.

"He infiltrated the ranks of the ISIS terrorist group for 16 months before he was discovered," he added.

Under the alias "Abu Suhaib," al-Sudani slowly gained the trust of the group's members while infiltrating their ranks.

"This enabled him to provide intelligence with accurate information about their movements and activities," he said.

His efforts helped thwart the detonation of 30 car bombs and 18 suicide attacks that were planned to target crowded markets and civilian sites.

Abu Raghif described these efforts as one of the "boldest and bravest" intelligence successes for their ability to strike at the heart of ISIS.

"They successfully destroyed its propaganda narrative that claimed the group was immune to infiltration," he added.

Betrayal of al-Baghdadi

Former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was betrayed by a member of his inner circle who sought revenge for ISIS's harsh treatment of his family.

This spy had spent several months tracking and reporting al-Baghdadi's movements between hideouts.

Ultimately, the spy led US Special Operations forces directly to al-Baghdadi’s tunnel hideout in northern Syria.

While trapped during the 2019 raid, the ISIS leader detonated a suicide vest, ending his life and causing significant destruction within the compound.

Spies operating during the anti-ISIS war supplied coalition forces with information instrumental in eliminating group members.

Attacks successfully focused on ISIS's most protected members, proving that even those least vulnerable to espionage could be targeted.

Spies remain embedded within the group, continuing to work for the coalition to ensnare the terrorists.