ISIS attack kills two Iraqi officers, wounds soldiers in Kirkuk

Shafaq News/ On Friday, two Iraqi army officers were killed and several soldiers wounded in an Islamic State (ISIS) attack on a military patrol in northwestern Kirkuk, a security source said.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that "fighters from the extremist group attacked an Iraqi army vehicle in the outskirts of Dibis district, 65 kilometers northwest of Kirkuk, resulting in the deaths of two officers and injuries to other soldiers." The source added, "the military unit responded to the attackers."

The Iraqi army quickly dispatched additional forces to the scene, cordoned off the area, and evacuated the bodies of the victims and the wounded, the source said. A search operation was launched to track down the assailants.

Despite being declared defeated in Iraq in 2017, ISIS remnants have continued to operate in rural and less secure areas, including Kirkuk.

The group's presence in Kirkuk today is largely due to the region's strategic importance and the ongoing security challenges. ISIS exploits these vulnerabilities to carry out attacks and maintain a foothold in the area.