Over 1,000 ISIS militants kneel in surrender.

More than 1,000 Islamic State (IS) fighters surrendered last week after being driven out of their stronghold of Hawija by Iraqi forces, the New York Times reported.

ISIS militants are being held captive after surrendering. Photo: NYTimes

Iraqi forces achieved a "swift and decisive victory" on October 5th, driving ISIS out of its stronghold in Hawijah.New York TimesAccording to a statement from the US Central Command: "This battle was extremely fierce; the operation to liberate the city of Hawijah took only 14 days, and multiple sources confirm that more than 1,000 insurgents surrendered."

Kurdish forces believe that hundreds more IS fighters will surrender.

This is not the first time IS fighters have surrendered, but this event is noteworthy because of the large number of surrenders.

ISIS militants surrender to Iraqi forces. Photo: Reuters

Kurdish intelligence sources say that the battle in Hawijah actually lasted only three days. The IS forces there were almost unable to resist; they and their families had to flee the battlefield, with many surrendering.

Many of the fighters who surrendered identified themselves as cooks or administrative staff working for the IS apparatus. Some said they decided to leave because they were asked to surrender, while others said they were not paid or given the comfortable life they were promised when they joined IS.

Hawija is the last remaining IS stronghold in northern Iraq. IS has controlled the area since 2014.

The base in Hawija is considered the central command center of IS in northern Iraq, from where IS leaders observe and direct their offensives east and west of the Tigris River.

According to Dan Tri