ISIS suspect in Kirkuk blows himself up as another shot dead by security forces

KIRKUK, Kurdistan Region – Security forces in Kirkuk shot down a suspected ISIS militant on Sunday, as another killed himself by detonating his explosives belt, following two days of clashes in which forces crushed an ISIS attack on the city and killed more than a dozen militants.

On Sunday, one militant blew himself up in the city’s Askarya district, Rudaw’s correspondent in the city, Hiwa Husamadeen, reported.

Meanwhile, another armed militant was shot dead as he was trying to take up position atop the city’s Ghazi Mall, after the mall owner spotted the man and alerted authorities.

On Saturday, fighting resumed for a second day in Kirkuk between security forces and a number of ISIS militants hiding inside a school.  Peshmerga forces killed three of the militants after completely surrounding the school.

Also Saturday, south of the city of Kirkuk near the town of Laylan, Peshmerga forces killed at least 11 ISIS militants after hours of intense clashes in the early hours, according to police chief Sarhad Nadir.

The Peshmerga did not suffer any casualties in the attacks.

A police chief in Kirkuk told Rudaw on Friday that around 70 ISIS militants had infiltrated the city and taken hold of several buildings, including a landmark hotel.

Kirkuk governor Najmaldin Karim told Rudaw that the militants may have been members of ISIS sleeper cells inside Kirkuk and some may have entered the city disguised as refugees.

The Kirkuk attacks followed a massive offensive by Iraqi and Kurdish forces to evict ISIS from its Mosul stronghold. The assault, which began Monday, also involves the US-led coalition.