Family of 12 killed by IS in northern Iraq: Iraqi officials

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Islamic State (IS) targeted a family of 12 in a northern Iraqi village, killing all members of the family, security officials said on Saturday.

The deputy governor of Salahuddin Province, Ammar Hekmat, said the extremists killed women and children in an attack in the northern Iraqi village of al-Farahatiyah.

Hekmat added that it was unclear why the family was targeted.

“We’re not sure if one of the family members was a police officer, but [IS] has a presence in desert areas like Salahuddin, Mosul, and Diyala,” an unnamed Iraqi intelligence official was quoted as saying in comments published by the Associated Press.

“They carry out attacks in villages outside the cities to scare families and remind them they are still there,” the source added.

Despite Iraq declaring a “final victory” over the extremist group late last year, IS continues to carry out guerrilla-style tactics reminiscent of their early emergence in mid-2014.

Random bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings are ongoing in many parts of Iraq previously liberated from the group, especially Kirkuk and Diyala.

The weakened security situation in these areas is linked to the forced withdrawal of Kurdish Peshmerga forces who were pushed out from the region by Iraqi and pro-Iran Hashd al-Shaabi troops last October.

Earlier this month, a member of the Diyala Provincial Council told the media there are believed to be over 1,500 active extremists participating in terrorist activities across the province.

Many Kurdish and Iraqi officials have warned of IS’ re-emergence in the country, namely in Kirkuk and surrounding provinces.