Iraqi army removes outposts in rural Kirkuk amid heightened ISIS threat

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi army has dismantled a number of outposts west of the disputed Kirkuk province after recent attacks by ISIS remnants, according to locals.

Outposts belonging to the 14th Brigades of the Nineveh Operations Command in Shahali Kon and Sebeeran in the Sargaran subdistrict west of Kirkuk were vacated Friday, Mohammad Ismail, the Sargaran farmers' representative, told Kurdistan 24.

The area saw Thursday intense clashes between suspected ISIS terrorists and Iraqi soldiers aided by local residents. The fighting left one Iraqi troop dead and six civilians wounded. The 30-man strong assailants also kidnapped a Shahali Kon villager, whose whereabouts remains unknown.

Read More: Iraqi soldier killed, civilian kidnapped in suspected ISIS attack in disputed Kirkuk

“The withdrawal [of the army] has sparked fears and concerns among villagers, and some families have evacuated,” Ismail explained.

Describing the move as effectively “handing over” the area to ISIS, a local official said that the reason behind the Iraqi army removing the outposts is not known yet.

“The best solution is the return of Peshmerga to the area,” Ismail said. If the Peshmerga are not allowed to come back, he noted, then Kurdish members of the Iraqi parliament must “pressure” the federal government to increase the security presence in the area.

Locals recently told Kurdistan 24 that members of the terrorist group had in the past demanded $5,000 in levies or face retribution.

Following its territorial defeat in 2017 at the hands of the Iraqi and Kurdish forces, the remnants of the Islamic State regularly launch attacks in the disputed territories due to what Kurdish officials describe as a “security vacuum.” 

Additional reporting by Hemin Dalo from Kirkuk