Explosion in central Kirkuk kills one, injures two: Police

An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in the central Kirkuk neighborhood of Wasit on Tuesday night, killing one civilian and wounding two more, police said.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in the central Kirkuk neighborhood of Wasit on Tuesday night, killing one civilian and wounding two more, police said.

The blast occurred at approximately 11:30 pm local time, police told Kurdistan 24, adding that the name of the man who perished was Yasser Jalal.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but local residents said they suspect the involvement of Islamic State (IS) sleeper cells.

According to the police source, security services have launched an investigation into the incident.

Soon after the emergence of IS in 2014, the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga and other security forces protected Kirkuk from attacks by the extremist group.

Following the region’s controversial independence referendum in September, Iraqi forces and Shia militias drove Kurdish troops from Kirkuk and other disputed territories.

Since then, the security situation has considerably deteriorated and IS activities have been on the rise, including ambushes, kidnappings, suicide attacks, and execution-style killings.

Editing by John J. Catherine