Iraqi security forces defeat ISIS attack on Saladin oilfield

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi security forces "fiercely" repelled an attack staged by ISIS militants on an oilfield in Saladin province on Sunday night, confirmed officials. 

The North Oil Company police announced that their forces tasked with protecting the Saladin province's oilfields "defeated an ISIS attack on the Alas Oilfield."

It added the group suffered casualties as a number of the attackers were killed and some others wounded.

"They retreated to an unknown place taking back the wounded with them," it added.

Iraq declared the group defeated in 2017. However, they frequently carry out attacks against security forces and civilians, especially in security vacuums between Kurdish and Iraq forces. 

The NOC commended the Hashd al-Shaabi saying they came to the aid of NOC policemen in fighting off the jihadists. 

The fresh ISIS attack came a day after the group staged a similar attack on a Hashd al-Shaabi force in Shingal.

Citing a Shiite official in the region, Rudaw's Tahsin Qasim said that three ISIS militants believed to have infiltrated Iraq from Syria blew themselves up after engaging in a brief confrontation with the Shiite militias. 

He said the Hash force did not suffer any fatalities. 

After a five-year-long heavy battle, Kurdish-led forces pronounced the death of the Islamic State group early on March 23 after flushing out diehard jihadists from their very last bastion in Deir ez-Zor province, eastern Syria.