US Delta Force units begin hunting for ISIS leader in Iraq.

The elite Delta Force of the U.S. military has begun a mission to hunt down, capture, or eliminate ISIS leaders in Iraq, after weeks of secret preparation.

Delta Force operations begin in Iraq. (Illustrative photo: Press TV)

According to CNN, a US official said the task force had spent the past few weeks establishing safe houses, intelligence networks, and coordinating operations with Iraqi army units and Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter appeared to confirm the task force's operation during a Pentagon press briefing yesterday.

"The only thing I will say is that the Targeting Expeditionary Force is in position. I expect them to be a very effective part of our accelerated campaign," he said.

According to Carter, the forces will conduct raids, neutralize individuals and locations, and rescue hostages and prisoners from the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) militant group.Carter also told reporters that the force would make ISIS "fear being attacked anywhere, anytime."

According to CNN, Delta Force plans to reuse the strategy that special operations forces employed in Iraq and Afghanistan. This involves gathering sufficient intelligence to plan raids on terrorist hideouts and strongholds. Then, using information obtained from the raid, such as laptops or cell phones, the force will try to learn more about the ISIS network and quickly attack related targets.

Delta Force is a U.S. military unit specializing in hostage rescue and counterterrorism, as well as reconnaissance and direct attacks on high-value targets. According to the Washington Post, although seemingly overshadowed in recent years by its Navy SEAL Team 6, Delta Force continues to attract public attention. They have been deployed globally, from Colombia – where they helped track down drug lord Pablo Escobar – to Afghanistan – where they launched a major helicopter assault less than six weeks after the 9/11 attacks.

According to VNE