KIRKUK, Kurdistan Region—Reports from Kirkuk say that heavy clashes are ongoing between security forces and several militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) who launched an attack against the Bay Hassan gas supply compound Sunday morning, killing at least four policemen and civil servants.
Brigadier Sarhad Qadir of the Kirkuk suburban police told Rudaw that three suicide bombers blew themselves up inside the compound, wounding three police officers and one Peshmerga soldier, among them Lieutenant Fayaq Chuchani, head of the compound.
“Fire has broken out inside the compound and more suicide bombers are suspected to be in there,” Brig. Qadir said.
Bay Hassan is a major source of oil and gas west of Kirkuk. Security officials believe the militants aimed at blowing up the wells.
Earlier in the day, Kamal Krikuki, a Peshmerga commander in the region told Rudaw that a force had been dispatched to Bay Hassan to help the police repel the ISIS attack and defend the area.
Security officials said that the suicide bombers who numbered six were members of the group’s secret cell.
A Peshmerga officer said that six militants had infiltrated the compound and spent 1.5 hours planting bombs around the installation.
The name of the compound is K2 and within the Peshmerga-controlled territory.
Peshmerga colonel, Shwan Hama Gharib told Rudaw that they had information of a planned ISIS attack on the area the day before, but unsure of the exact location.
“Since yesterday we had information on ISIS movements and that they had plans to attack the Peshmerga defense lines or some important locations and therefore we focused more on our lines and civilian areas,” Col. Hama Gharib said.
Col. Hama Gharib deployed his forces Sunday morning to reinforce the Bay Hassan area.
He added that the militants had only attacked the gas compound after they had failed to breach the fortified Peshmerga defense lines.
“At 2:00 am we were informed that AB2 compound had been attacked,” Col. Hama Gharib reported. “The militants were not able to attack the fortified the places and therefore went to an area that had fewer guards and they succeeded in that.”
“Before we reached the compound they had already killed four workers and there was the fear of bombing having been planted which was exactly the case,” he added.
Col. Hama Gharib explained that collecting intelligence on ISIS is not an easy task due to the vastness of the area and lack of cooperation from some of the Arab villagers “who support the militants and shelter them, too.”
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