ISIS Attack in Kirkuk Governorate Leaves One PMF Member Dead

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, an attack by ISIS militants in the Al-Dibis district of Kirkuk governorate resulted in the death of one member of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and left another injured.

A security source reported that the terrorists targeted a security point belonging to the PMF's 61st Brigade within the Albu Hamdan sector.

Following the attack, security reinforcements from the East Tigris operations arrived at the scene and conducted a search operation in the surrounding area.

The incident highlights the ongoing threat posed by ISIS militants in Iraq, particularly in the northern region of the country.

ISIS emerged in Iraq in 2013 and gained global notoriety in 2014 when it seized sizeable Iraqi territory, including the second-largest city of Mosul. At its peak, the group controlled one-third of Iraq's region and established a self-proclaimed caliphate.

ISIS' brutal tactics, including mass executions, beheadings, and enslavement of women, drew international condemnation and prompted a military intervention led by the US in partnership with local Iraqi forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga.

Although ISIS lost its territorial control in Iraq in 2017, the group still operates in pockets of the country. It carries out sporadic attacks, particularly in areas with limited security forces or in the border regions with Syria.

In recent years, the Iraqi security forces, in coordination with the US-led coalition, have launched a series of military operations against ISIS hideouts, resulting in the death or capture of many of the group's leaders and fighters. Despite these efforts, however, ISIS threatens Iraq's security and stability.