Militants attack Iraqi security forces, casualties reported

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Unknown gunmen on Monday night attacked Iraqi security forces inside the disputed town of Makhmour located southwest of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region.

A source from the Peshmerga forces told Kurdistan 24 that militants attacked an Iraqi Federal Police office in Makhmour.

Meanwhile, a security source near the area told Kurdistan 24 over the phone that at least four Iraqi security forces had been killed and several others wounded.

Although no one has claimed responsibility for the incident, Iraqi authorities point fingers to Islamic State (IS) sleeper cells which often carry out small-scale attacks, especially in the Kirkuk and Diyala provinces.

Despite Iraq declaring “final victory” over the militants last December, the group continues to launch insurgency-style attacks, kidnappings, and ambushes in the disputed provinces of Kirkuk, Diyala, and Salahuddin.

Earlier in the day, Kurdistan Region Counter-Terrorism forces killed three gunmen who attacked the Erbil Governorate building, killing one person. The motive for the attack remains unclear.

On July 16, the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga along with Iraqi security forces launched a military operation with the support of the US-led coalition against remnants of IS extremists near the town of Makhmour.

On June 30, Peshmerga forces with the support of the US-led coalition, launched a similar operation on Mount Qarachokh, killing several IS members in the area.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany