At least five people were injured in an explosion in downtown Kirkuk on Saturday, as police launched an investigation into the incident. The explosion occurred in the predominantly Turkmen neighborhood of Musalla, caused by an improvised explosive device (IED), according to local authorities.

“Our forces have arrived in the area and launched an investigation. The injured have been transferred to the hospital,” said Amir Nuri, spokesperson for Kirkuk police, speaking to Rudaw.

Eyewitnesses described the scene in the aftermath of the explosion. "We saw a man lose his leg and another young man injured on the side," a local resident, Izzat, told reporters. Hussein Ahmed Mohammed, another resident, said those injured were in "bad condition," with injuries sustained by individuals inside a shop, a falafel store, and a restaurant.

According to police, the explosion occurred as a shopkeeper was arriving to open a Qi Card office. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

The explosion comes just days after four Iraqi soldiers were killed in a suspected Islamic State (ISIS) ambush in western Kirkuk. Iraqi security forces have been intensifying operations against ISIS cells in the region, particularly in areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad.

ISIS, which seized control of large parts of Iraq in 2014, was declared territorially defeated in 2017, but the group continues to carry out attacks in several provinces, including Kirkuk, Salahaddin, Nineveh, and Diyala. The militants have taken advantage of security gaps in these disputed areas, prompting ongoing military operations by Iraqi forces.

Authorities in Kirkuk are continuing their investigation into Saturday's explosion, with more details expected to emerge in the coming days.