File image.
ISIS terrorists attacked an Iraqi military barracks in the northern province of Kirkuk late on June 10, killing two officers and wounding three soldiers.
In a statement, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command (JOC) said that the terrorist attack took place in the village of Multaqa in al-Dibis district.
“At 10:00 pm yesterday, terrorist elements attacked with light and medium weapons a military barracks,” reads the statement, which was released on June 11.
ISIS has not claimed responsibility for the attack via Amaq, its official news agency. However, the JOC said that the terrorist was behind the “cowardly act”. An investigation has been launched, it added.
The command vowed in its statement that an “immediate and unexpected response that will shake the ground under their feet”.
ISIS maintains a fairly strong presence in Kirkuk, especially in areas bordering the autonomous Kurdistan region. A disagreement on security procedures between the region’s authorities and central government in Baghdad has left these areas unguarded.
The Iraqi military stepped up its operations against ISIS cells in Kirkuk this year. One June 3, the air force destroyed a hideout of the group in the Wadi al-Chai, a valley that lies in the southern part of the province. The airstrikes killed at least six terrorists.
Iraq announced the defeat of ISIS in 2017. However, the terrorist group’s remnants are still waging an insurgency in different parts of the country.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
