Iraqi soldiers killed, injured in Salahaddin ISIS clashes

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and another was injured while attempting to foil an Islamic State (ISIS) attack in central Iraq, state media reported on Monday.

Two members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) were shot in Salahaddin, an area infamous for ISIS activities, while another was wounded.

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

A member of the PMF was killed and another was injured in clashes with the terror group in April.

The militants are particularly active in parts of northern Iraq that are disputed by the Kurdish and Iraqi governments, stretching across several provinces including Kirkuk, Salahaddin, and Diyala.

The Iraqi forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga frequently launch joint operations to eliminate remnants of the group.

Six alleged ISIS members on Monday were killed in an Iraqi airstrike in the mountains of Makhmour following the recent operation by the forces.

In its propaganda magazine on Thursday, ISIS claimed to have conducted five attacks in Iraq from May 5 to May 11, killing and injuring five people.

Iraqi army and Peshmerga have formed joint brigades to combat ISIS in the disputed territories, but their work has been prevented from materializing due to government formation turmoil.