One dead, another arrested after security raid in Kirkuk

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi security forces killed one gunman and arrested another in Kirkuk during a raid on Tuesday, police said.

“After security forces surrounded them, the armed individuals fired on them,” said Amr Nuri, spokesperson for Kirkuk police, explaining that the two armed men were found in the Sekanian neighborhood based on intelligence provided by Iraqi national security.

“One of them is dead and the other is injured and arrested,” the spokesperson said, adding that authorities are investigating whether the gunmen are members of the Islamic State (ISIS) or involved in drug trafficking.

Three security personnel sustained light injuries during the clash with the gunmen in the Sekanian neighborhood, Nuri confirmed.

The area is located in the northern outskirts of Kirkuk city near the Erbil-Kirkuk road. Security officials said they flooded the area after the incident.

ISIS seized control of large swathes of Iraqi territory in 2014. The group was declared territorially defeated in 2017 but continues to carry out bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions across several provinces.