SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Islamic State (ISIS) militants attacked a unit of the Iraqi military in Makhmour southwest of Erbil, the Kurdish counter-terrorism service said early on Sunday.
A group of ISIS militants attacked the Iraqi military in the village of Mahmoudiya in Qaraji sub-district, the Kurdistan Region’s Counter-Terrorism Service said.
“Casualties remained unclear,” it added.
The Iraqi authorities have yet to confirm the attack.
ISIS militants intermittently carry out attacks against the Iraqi security forces in the provinces of Kirkuk, Diyala, Saladin, Anbar and Baghdad.
The federal government announced victory over Islamic State by the end of 2017 after Iraqi and Kurdish forces backed by U.S.-led Coalition regained control of areas once captured by the militant group.
Despite its defeat, ISIS still poses a threat to the security and stability of the country as there are still sleeper cells in Iraq.
The militants attacked Peshmerga forces near Prde town in south of Erbil in the early hours of Saturday, killing three members of the Kurdish forces and wounding two others.
The Kurdistan Region’s ministry of Peshmerga blamed a “security vacuum” between the Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the disputed areas, claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad.
Kurdish officials have repeatedly warned that the militant group is using a “security vacuum” between the Peshmerga forces and Iraqi army in the disputed areas to attack the Kurdish and Iraqi forces.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani called on the Iraqi government and U.S.-led Coalition forces to speed up works to form a joint force between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi military in those areas.
