The key facts

  • The airstrike was carried out at around 20:00 local time in the Altun Kupri area of Kirkuk province
  • According to the Security Media Office, three suspected militants were killed and one suspect detained
  • The operation was conducted after reconnaissance surveillance, in the area of responsibility of the 32nd Infantry Brigade of the 8th Mechanized Division

Airstrike in Kirkuk: three suspected militants killed

Iraqi security forces carried out an airstrike on Friday evening in the Altun Kupri area of Kirkuk province, in which, according to the Security Media Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, three suspected militants were killed.

Details of the operation

According to the office, the operation was carried out at around 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT) after reconnaissance surveillance by the Military Intelligence Directorate. The strike was delivered by army aviation in the area of responsibility of the 32nd Infantry Brigade of the 8th Mechanized Division. In addition to the three killed, security forces detained another suspect accused of transporting them. The search in the area continues; further details, according to the office, will be released later.

Context

Kirkuk remains one of the centers of Iraq's counter-terrorism operations. Although Baghdad declared victory over ISIS (an organization banned in a number of countries) in December 2017, cells of the group continue to operate and carry out sporadic attacks in a number of areas in the north, west and east of the country.