Several Peshmerga, police killed retaking Dubis mayor’s office from ISIS militants

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Six Peshmerga soldiers and policemen were killed Tuesday evening when ISIS militants and suicide bombers attacked the small Kurdish town of Dubis south of Kirkuk, local police said.

Brig. Sarhad Qadir of the Kirkuk police told Rudaw that four militants managed to break into the mayor’s office after the building was attacked by four suicide bombers.

The town police whose compound is adjacent to the mayor’s office responded to the militant attack and engaged them in an intense firefight.

The police were soon joined by a special Peshmerga force who together surrounded the mayor’s office with the militants inside.

Brig. Qadir said that four militants who took position inside the building were killed and the Kurdish forces regained control of the mayor’s office.

The attack took place at around 8:00 pm local time after office hours.

Brig. Qadir added that in a simultaneous and related attack a fifth suicide bomber blew himself at a checkpoint on the road between Dubis and Kirkuk.

He said that a number of policemen and Peshmerga were also injured in the confrontations.