Iraqi Federal Police killed, wounded in latest Kirkuk bombing

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – An Iraqi Federal Police Forces officer was killed in an improvised explosive device attack on a police patrol in a southern suburb of Kirkuk, a security source told Kurdistan 24 on Monday.

According to the source, a homemade bomb was placed on the side of a road which detonated as a Federal Police patrol was approaching, resulting in the immediate death of a captain.

The explosion also wounded another police officer who was accompanying the patrol unit, the source added.

The attack took place while the police vehicle was patrolling in the village of Al-Bomahmud in the town of Daquq, 35 kilometers (21 miles) south of Kirkuk.

No one has claimed responsibility for the violence as Iraqi security forces prepare to launch a massive campaign to clean up the area and carry out search operations against remaining Islamic State (IS) sleeper cells.

The bombing is the first attack targeting the Iraqi Federal Police since they were appointed the responsibility of securing the province in place of the Iraqi army.

Last October, the Iraqi government took unilateral control of Kirkuk in response to a referendum conducted by the Kurdistan Region on Sep. 25 which included the disputed region.

Since Iraqi forces and the Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi militias took control of Kirkuk, the oil-rich city has experienced unprecedented security incidents including kidnappings, assassinations, and bombings.

During the Peshmerga’s administration of the city, however, the area was kept secure and safe from the dangers of IS, which at the time occupied parts of the province, especially Hawija and surrounding areas.