Islamic State claims responsibility for murdering 21 people in attack, south of Kirkuk
Islamic State militants
Pro-IS websites posted a statement by the militant group at which it claimed responsibility for the attack, which left two families killed.
Twenty one people, including children, were killed and injured in an attack that targeted two families, south of Kirkuk.
Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.
A total of 91 Iraqi civilians were killed and 208 others were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in February, according to the monthly report issued by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
Baghdad was the worst affected Governorate, with 195 civilian casualties (49 killed, 146 injured). Anbar Governorate ranked second place, with 14 killed and 37 injured, and Diyala had 12 killed and 11 injured.
As many as 3,298 civilians were killed and 4,781 others were wounded in 2017, excluding Anbar civilian casualty figures for November and December, which are not available, UNAMI said in a report in December.
The government, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition, launched a campaign in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.