ISIS retaliate for Mosul campaign by attacking Kirkuk
Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2016 2:30 pmArmed civilians in Kirkuk join security forces to hunt down remaining ISIS militants
ISIS retaliate for Mosul campaign by attacking Kirkuk - where will they attack next?
At least 12 ISIS militants were killed by security and police forces in Kirkuk Friday morning as the group launched a predawn surprise attack on multiple locations across the city, leading to hours of clashes with the security forces.
Four militants also attacked a power station the nearby town of Dubis where they killed 10 employees, four of them Iranian nationals working as engineers at the station.
The militants, among them suicide bombers, attacked the former Kirkuk police station and occupied it for a few hours before they were driven out by special anti-terrorism forces.
At least three car bombs were detonated by the group and early in the confrontations Sarhad Qadir, Kirkuk police chief asked residents of the city “to stay indoors until the situation is under control,”
“ISIS attacked the security building and former emergency police station,” Qadir told Rudaw.
Qadir added: “Some people in Kirkuk have been collaborating with ISIS,”
Four ISIS militants who attacked the Dubiz power plant were killed by the security forces, Kirkuk governor Najmaldin Karim told Rudaw.
Karim said: “It was expected that ISIS sleeper cells would make a move one day in Kirkuk now that the Mosul offensive has started and they want to boost their own morale this way,”
The governor said that in some areas where they feared the escalation of the situation “the security forces brought it all under control.”
“The militants were not able to take any government building or even enter them,” Governor Karim maintained.
Karim believed that some members of the sleeper cells may have come to the city among waves of refugees who recently fled Hawija to Kirkuk.
In the meantime, he urged people to stay away and allow security and police forces to bring the situation under full control.
“I ask people to stay indoors and even those who carry arms for defense not to come to the streets so that the security forces can do their job,” Karim told Rudaw TV by telephone from Kirkuk.
The most intense part of the ISIS attack took place in the town of Dubis.
According to the mayor, Abdullah Nuraddin, three suicide bombers attacked the station where two of them blew themselves up while the third was gunned down by the security forces.
The ISIS militants, whose images have been caught on surveillance cameras, also attacked the Domiz neighborhood security office in Kirkuk, Halo Najat, a security chief told Rudaw.
At 11:00 am head of Kirkuk's Sunni Waqif Association told Rudaw that all mosques have been closed and Friday prayers cancelled for today.
Rudaw correspondents in Kirkuk report that armed civilians have joined security forces to hunt down ISIS militants who are believed to be roaming in parts of the city.
Some Kirkuk residents have sent to Rudaw photos showing ISIS militants walking on some streets and residential areas. Rudaw could not verify the authenticity of the photos.
Haji Roj, head of KAR Group’s oil department in Kirkuk told Rudaw that today’s attacks by ISIS militants have not affected the oil sector.
“I’m talking to you from Bay Hassan right now,” he told Rudaw by telephone. “The oil protection forces are here. All the oilfields are safe and protected. We’ve no trouble here. Our engineers are oil workers are working as usual.”
“There’s no threat to the oilfields but we all have to remain vigilant.”
Rudaw has learned from sources inside the city at around 30 militants might have been involved in today's attack.
http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/21102016
ISIS retaliate for Mosul campaign by attacking Kirkuk - where will they attack next?
At least 12 ISIS militants were killed by security and police forces in Kirkuk Friday morning as the group launched a predawn surprise attack on multiple locations across the city, leading to hours of clashes with the security forces.
Four militants also attacked a power station the nearby town of Dubis where they killed 10 employees, four of them Iranian nationals working as engineers at the station.
The militants, among them suicide bombers, attacked the former Kirkuk police station and occupied it for a few hours before they were driven out by special anti-terrorism forces.
At least three car bombs were detonated by the group and early in the confrontations Sarhad Qadir, Kirkuk police chief asked residents of the city “to stay indoors until the situation is under control,”
“ISIS attacked the security building and former emergency police station,” Qadir told Rudaw.
Qadir added: “Some people in Kirkuk have been collaborating with ISIS,”
Four ISIS militants who attacked the Dubiz power plant were killed by the security forces, Kirkuk governor Najmaldin Karim told Rudaw.
Karim said: “It was expected that ISIS sleeper cells would make a move one day in Kirkuk now that the Mosul offensive has started and they want to boost their own morale this way,”
The governor said that in some areas where they feared the escalation of the situation “the security forces brought it all under control.”
“The militants were not able to take any government building or even enter them,” Governor Karim maintained.
Karim believed that some members of the sleeper cells may have come to the city among waves of refugees who recently fled Hawija to Kirkuk.
In the meantime, he urged people to stay away and allow security and police forces to bring the situation under full control.
“I ask people to stay indoors and even those who carry arms for defense not to come to the streets so that the security forces can do their job,” Karim told Rudaw TV by telephone from Kirkuk.
The most intense part of the ISIS attack took place in the town of Dubis.
According to the mayor, Abdullah Nuraddin, three suicide bombers attacked the station where two of them blew themselves up while the third was gunned down by the security forces.
The ISIS militants, whose images have been caught on surveillance cameras, also attacked the Domiz neighborhood security office in Kirkuk, Halo Najat, a security chief told Rudaw.
At 11:00 am head of Kirkuk's Sunni Waqif Association told Rudaw that all mosques have been closed and Friday prayers cancelled for today.
Rudaw correspondents in Kirkuk report that armed civilians have joined security forces to hunt down ISIS militants who are believed to be roaming in parts of the city.
Some Kirkuk residents have sent to Rudaw photos showing ISIS militants walking on some streets and residential areas. Rudaw could not verify the authenticity of the photos.
Haji Roj, head of KAR Group’s oil department in Kirkuk told Rudaw that today’s attacks by ISIS militants have not affected the oil sector.
“I’m talking to you from Bay Hassan right now,” he told Rudaw by telephone. “The oil protection forces are here. All the oilfields are safe and protected. We’ve no trouble here. Our engineers are oil workers are working as usual.”
“There’s no threat to the oilfields but we all have to remain vigilant.”
Rudaw has learned from sources inside the city at around 30 militants might have been involved in today's attack.
http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/21102016