Iraqi policeman killed, two wounded in fierce clashes with IS in Kirkuk
Security forces defend their headquarters against attacks by Islamic State during sand storm in Ramadi. (AP Photo)
Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) – An Iraqi policeman was killed and two others were injured Tuesday in clashes with Islamic State militants in Kirkuk, a security source was quoted as saying.
Speaking to the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA), the source said that fierce clashes erupted between police forces and IS militants in western Kirkuk.
“The confrontation left a policeman dead and two others wounded,” added the source.
Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over five million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
A total of 75 Iraqi civilians were killed, while 179 others were injured due to acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in September, according to casualty figures by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
Baghdad came on top of the worst affected Governorate, with 101 civilian casualties (31 killed, 70 injured), followed by Anbar (15 killed and 37 injured) and Salahuddin (09 killed and 38 injured).
In December, Iraq announced gaining control on all the territories that were captured by Islamic State, since 2014.