ISIS gunmen attacked an IMIS-affiliated unit in Kirkuk amid a general uptick in terrorist attacks in the region. In response, Prime Minister of Iraq’s caretaker government, Adil Abdul Mahdi, has ordered an anti-ISIS operation in three provinces.
The latest incident reportedly occurred Saturday morning in the Danadish area of Kirkuk’s Hawija district. ISIS militants took advantage of adverse weather conditions and attacked a unit of the 56th Brigades of the Shia-majority militias, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
“The attack resulted in deaths of two IMIS members, and wounded three others,” a source said.
Just a day earlier, an explosion rocked the city of Kirkuk, targeting a police car, killing at least one officer.
The province, which is part of disputed territories between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government of Iraq, has witnessed a series of attacks since last week.
Multiple ISIS attacks have occurred in the northern parts of Diyala province as well, on both the KRG-controlled and Iraqi sides. The Peshmerga forces deployed reinforcements to the area to bolster defenses against further assaults.