ISIS kills 5 family members at fake checkpoint in Kirkuk: security sources

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A group of Islamic State members recently killed a family of five at a false checkpoint on the Kirkuk – Tikrit main road, security sources said.

Colonel Muamer Murtadha, Head of the Rashad sub-district in Kirkuk, told local media that “ISIS members established a fake security checkpoint on the road, stopped the family’s car, and opened fire on them, killing all five, including a woman.”

Murtadha also explained that three more cars passed through the checkpoint and suffered damages when fired upon. The armed group escaped before security forces arrived, he added.

The location of the incident falls within the authority of the commander of the Salahuddin governorate’s security forces, who launched a search operation to secure the area following the attack.

On Tuesday, members of the so-called Islamic State clashed with local security forces near an oil plant located in the western part of Kirkuk province, killing one and wounding two police officers.

The attack marks the third incident by the Islamic State in the disputed province of Kirkuk in a week.

On Friday, four members of the Energy Police, in charge of protecting Iraq’s energy infrastructure, were killed in an attack by an Islamic State suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest in the town of Baiji, northwest of Tikrit.

Although Iraq declared victory over the extremist group in December 2017, it continues to launch regular attacks, including bombings, kidnappings, and ambushes against Iraqi security forces, Kurdish forces, and civilians in areas liberated from its control as well as in major cities it never took over, such as Baghdad and Kirkuk.

Recent unrest in Iraq in the form of widespread protests have slowed anti-Islamic State operations over the past three months. The terrorist group appears to have taken advantage of the situation and has carried out attacks with increasing regularity.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany