Six tribal fighters killed in confrontations with the Islamic State west of Kirkuk

Six tribal fighters were killed in confrontations with Islamic State militants in west of Kirkuk, a security source said on Sunday.

“Six personnel of the Tribal Mobilization Forces were killed during armed confrontations with IS members in al-Rebza village in Riyad, west of Kirkuk,” the source told Alghad Press.

“The clashes broke out as the troops noticed the militants near the village. The group’s losses are still unknown,” the source added.

In related news, a chief of police department and his son as well as a senior tribesmen and his wife were killed in two armed attacks on the road between Hawija and Kirkuk, according to news reports.

Earlier on the day, security troops in Kirkuk announced applying a one-week plan to protect civilians during the celebrations of Christmas and the New Year at the province.

Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State Sunni extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

A total of 117 Iraqi civilians were killed and another 264 injured, excluding police, in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in November, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Baghdad was the worst affected Governorate, with 201 civilian casualties (51 killed, 150 injured). Salahuddin Governorate followed, with 24 killed and 60 injured, and Kirkuk had 12 killed and 28 injured.

Source: Iraqi News