Several unidentified mortar shells land in Kaka’i village, southern Kirkuk
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Around 10 mortar shells on Thursday hit the village of Topzawa in southern Kirkuk Province, damaging several houses, according to a local security source.
The village belongs to a Kaka’is, a religious minority, some 50 kilometers south of Kirkuk city.
Five of the mortar shells landed inside the village, damaging several houses, while others struck the outskirts, the source told Kurdistan 24, adding that casualties remain unknown.
Other nearby villages in Haftaghar witnessed similar mortar shelling by an unknown group on Wednesday, which killed one civilian and injured two members of one family.
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There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack by any group.
The shelling is suspected to be carried out by Islamic State sleeper cells. However, such attacks remain uncommon for the group since its military defeat declated in late 2017 by the Iraqi government.
The area is part of a disputed territory claimed by both the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government of Iraq.
The region has witnessed increased instability and insecurity over the past years, namely after Iraqi forces and Shia militias took over the area from Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
Editing by Nadia Riva