On Sunday morning, clashes broke out between Kurdish security forces and Islamic State (IS) insurgents in the Qarahanjir subdistrict of the disputed Kurdish province of Kirkuk, resulting in multiple casualties.

According to BasNews, two IS extremists attacked a local market in Qarahanjir before fleeing and engaging in a firefight with security forces at a nearby school. The confrontation led to the death of one IS insurgent and left another wounded.

Tragically, the incident claimed the life of Jawamer Aziz Rashid, a member of the security forces, and left another security officer wounded.

The Sulaimaniyah security directorate confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that the clash erupted around 8:00 a.m. The directorate reported that the IS members had intended to carry out terrorist acts in the area and were armed with medium weapons and explosive belts.

The security report also revealed that the IS insurgents had previously killed a police officer in the Shoraw neighborhood and two others in separate attacks, including one in front of the Republic Hospital.

Despite IS being declared defeated in 2017, the extremist group continues to pose a significant threat to civilians and security forces in Iraq, particularly in disputed territories. IS sleeper cells exploit the security gap between the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi Army, maintaining their ability to carry out sporadic attacks in the region.