PHOTOS: Four IS extremists, one civilian killed in southern Sulaimani Province

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Four Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Sunday in confrontations with the Kurdistan Region security forces in the town of Darbandikhan, nearly 70 kilometers south of Sulaimani Province.

Kurdish security forces (Asayish) and volunteer fighters from the Baba Amra village in southern Darbandikhan clashed with four suspected IS insurgents in the early morning.

Local security forces and the mayor of Darbandikhan confirmed to Kurdistan24 the armed men were IS extremists.

However, the mayor did not reveal where the insurgents might have infiltrated the area.

Nasih Mala Hassan, the mayor of Darbandikhan, told Kurdistan24 that “after the militants were surrounded by Asayish and volunteer fighters, two of the IS fighters were forced to blow up their suicide vests in Baba Amra village.”

“The other two managed to flee the areas to a nearby village,” Hassan revealed, adding the identity of the IS militants were unknown.

According to a Kurdistan24 reporter on the scene, after two IS extremists were seen by the local people from Pungala village clashes erupted between them and the villagers leading to the death of Muhammed Mam Wali, a volunteer fighter.

Additionally, Hassan confirmed a civilian had fallen as a result of the confrontations with the IS extremists.

Brigadier-general Osman, the Director of Darbandikhan Asayish, told the press two IS extremists were killed in the Pungala village.

Moreover, Osman said two others were forced to detonate their suicide vests in the village of Baba Amra.

In 2014, IS emerged in Iraq and began to control large swaths of territory in the country.

Since then, the extremist group has lost its grip and continues to suffer defeats thanks to Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany