Four Iraqi policemen wounded in Kirkuk attack
Members of Iraqi Federal Police carry their weapon at the frontline during a battle with Islamic State militants in western Mosul, Iraq June 5, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) Four Iraqi policemen were wounded on Thursday in an attack by Islamic State militants in Kirkuk province, according to a security source.
The source told Alsumaria News that a Federal Police patrol became under fire from Islamic State militants in Theybat, al-Rashad, southwest of Kirkuk, leading to the mild injury of four personnel.
Earlier on Thursday, security sources said Islamic State militants killed a man in front of his family, torched and blew up the homes of other civilians, accusing all of collaborating with security forces.
Iraq declared victory over Islamic State militants in December 2017, ending a three-year military campaign against the group to retake areas they had occupied to proclaim a self-styled “caliphate”.
But even after Iraq declared that the militants lost their territorial influence, the group seems to continue to represent a security concern, launching several attacks against security and civilians and causing several death.
Iraqi security forces seized back Kirkuk’s government facilities and oil fields from Kurdish Peshmerga forces last October in response to a poll by Kurdistan Region in which a majority voted for independence from Iraq. But recent reports have told of U.S. efforts to mediate between the Iraqi government and Erbil for the return of Peshmerga troops to the province to toughen security measures.