Unidentified gunmen attack Iraqi military headquarters in Kirkuk

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Local security sources reported unknown gunmen attacked an Iraqi military headquarters inside the city of Kirkuk.

A source told Kurdistan 24 unidentified gunmen opened fire on a headquarters belonging to the Iraqi counterterrorism agency in the Almas neighborhood in northern Kirkuk.

The source said the gunmen used an RPG-7 grenade launcher and a grenade before opening fire at the headquarters in a predominately Kurdish neighborhood. This was confirmed by other sources.

A security source said Iraqi forces responded to the attack, imposed a security cordon and fired into the air indiscriminately, causing panic in the neighborhood.

There were no reports of casualties among the security forces or the assailants. The attackers were in a vehicle and fled.

The same forces have experienced similar attacks in other areas of Kirkuk. It is unclear who is behind the attacks, with security in Kirkuk being a growing concern since the Oct. 16 assault and takeover of the disputed area by Iraqi Forces and Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militias.

The Iraqi attack came in response to the referendum on the independence of the Kurdistan Region, held in September, which won overwhelming support in the region for secession. The vote was also held in several disputed areas, such as Kirkuk.

The Iraqi government imposed a series of punitive measures against the Kurdistan Region following the referendum. Baghdad shut down international flights to the region's airports and seeks to control oil imports and border crossings to Kurdistan.

Editing by Nadia Riva