Regrouping militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria ISIS have killed eight people in two separate attacks in Kirkuk, escalating their moves and putting the security forces on alert.
The two attacks were led in two different parts of Kirkuk in different timings targeting civilians and the security forces on Saturday.
Six workers in the village of al-Hawaij in Abbasi sub-district, part of Hawija district west of Kirkuk, were heading to the village where they were collecting wood and burning it into coals Saturday October 30.
They were ambushed by ISIS militants near Tigris river between Kirkuk and Salahaddin province, a relative of one of the victims said.
"Two of them were killed immediately and two others, one of them a teenager, were injured. The other two try to swim and cross the river."
"Two of them were killed immediately and two others, one of them a teenager, were injured. The other two try to swim and cross the river."
The villagers and military mobilization forces, part of the Shiite paramilitary of Popular Mobilization Forces PMF, federal police, and local police of Hawija district lead a sweep of the region.
"Both sides confronted yet no news if any damage caused to the militants," a source in hawija police said on the condition of anonymity.
From Salahadddin province side, the joint operations command carry out an operation to chase the militants.
"The two workers try to flee when they hear gunfire wanted to cross the river swimming but they were shot dead," said Mulla Majid, a commander of tribal mobilization in Abbasi.
"Only the body of one martyr was found and the two injured while the other three bodies are missing," he added.
"The locals are concerned about ISIS Daesh militants being so active lately, a relative of one of the victims anonymously said.
"The locals are concerned about ISIS Daesh militants being so active lately, a relative of one of the victims anonymously said.
Kirkuk, October 31st 2021- Relatives of the victims of al-Hawaij, southwest of Kirkuk. Photo exclusively for KirkukNow
The area was under control of IS from June 2014 up to 2017, one of the strongholds of IS where they had hideouts and a big tunnel, locals said, till it was bombed by the international coalition and Iraqi security forces took control.
An Iraqi soldier and a policeman were killed Thursday in two incidents by snipers of the remnants of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria whom are lately leading fatal attacks.
IS militants are regrouping in the rural areas of the disputed territories between Baghdad and Erbil. They are targeting Iraqi forces and civilians in the suburbs of Diyla, Kirkuk Ninawa, Salahaddin and Erbil.
Back in 2014, ISIS took over almost one third of Iraqi territories. End of 2017, the Iraqi government declared victory and defeat of IS yet a report by the United Nations UN published early this year estimated thousands of Daesh fighters remain active across Iraq and Syria.
Kirkuk, Iraq’s second largest reserves, located 238 kilometers north of Baghdad, is an ethnically mixed province for 1.2 million Kurds, Sunni and Shiite Arabs, and Turkmen. It has long been at the center of disputes between Baghdad and the Erbil.
Saturday night around 9:30 pm Baghdad local time, Daesh militants by BKC rifles target the Peshmerga (Kurdish fighters) in the heights of Zurgazraw of Pirdy district.
Two personnel of the Peshmerga were killed, Nouri Hama Ali commander of the Peshmerga West of Kirkuk, told the media.
"When the Peshmerga were chasing and confronting the terrorists, two heroic Peshmerga of brigade 10 were martyred."
Pedestrian forces of Kirkuk brigade two. KRG ministry of Peshmerga
ISIS militants have carried out four operations in Kirkuk in the last four days.
Late hours of Tuesday, gunmen attacked the village of Rashad in Miqdadiya (Sharaban in Kurdish) district northeast of Diyala province. Security forces said 13 villagers were killed and seven were injured.
Last September, 13 policemen, soldiers and fighters were killed and more than 8 were injured in separate attacks and by explosive devices IEDs planted by ISIS militants in the provinces of Kirkuk, Ninawa and Salahaddin.
