Islamic State members wounded in attack repelled by paramilitary troops, west of Kirkuk

Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State members were wounded in an attack carried out by the militant group, southwest of Kirkuk, an official from the pro-government paramilitary troops said on Wednesday.

Speaking to Baghdad Today website, Karim al-Ezzi, an official from al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) said, “Islamic State members attacked a checkpoint of the troops in al-Shalalat region, located between al-Multaqa and Hawija, west of Kirkuk.”

PMFs, according to Ezzi, “repelled the attack, while some militants were injured before fleeing.”

On Monday, news reports quoted sources as saying that seven people were killed as Islamic State members attacked al-Bu Shaher village, near Yayji town, west of Kirkuk.

In December, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced gaining control on all the territories that were captured by Islamic State, since 2014. However, Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country. The group still has dormant cells, through which it carries out attacks, across Iraq like it used to do before 2014.

Thousands of militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.