Two Peshmerga Soldiers Killed in IS Attack South of Erbil: Statement

At least two Peshmerga soldiers were killed in an Islamic State (IS) attack on Kirkuk front, south of Erbil on Saturday night, Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Service has confirmed.

The incident reportedly took place in the area of Zugazraw, in Kirkuk province, where the militants targeted a unit of the Peshmerga forces, the statement said, without providing further details.

Moreover, The Ministry of Peshmerga has confirmed the IS attack and identified the two soldiers as Khalid Hamid Hayas and Ako Karim Qadir.

The ministry reminded that it has repeatedly warned of a serious resurgence of the Islamic State in the disputed areas, noting that the Peshmerga forces in cooperations with the Iraqi army and backed by the US-led Coalition would spare no efforts to ensure the security of the region and its continued fight against the jihadist group.

The attack comes as the jihadist group has lately regrouped itself in most parts of Iraq lately, continuing to harm the security forces and civilians in the region, particularly in the territories disputed between Erbil and Baghdad.

The insurgent group earlier the day killed two civilians in the Iraqi province of Ninevah where they also left two others wounded, the reports said.