BAGHDAD (Dispatches) -- An Iraqi army brigadier and a soldier were killed Wednesday when a roadside bomb struck their patrol in northern Kirkuk province, as Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi made his first official visit to Saudi Arabia and political leaders prepared to finalize the cabinet.
The blast occurred in Zghaitoun Valley, about 80 km south of Kirkuk, as the patrol conducted a search operation at an Islamic State hideout that Iraqi warplanes had targeted a day earlier, according to a military statement. 
Brig. Gen. Ahat Yasser Khudair Hussein, head of the 11th Infantry Division’s Communications Command, and Warrant Officer Moataz Shaheed Abbas were killed. Three other soldiers were wounded.
The attack was the second on Iraqi security forces in the area this month, following an October 5 assault claimed by Daesh southwest of Kirkuk that killed one federal policeman and wounded four. 
Iraqi officials have warned that Daesh retains sleeper cells capable of hit-and-run attacks, raising concerns about security gaps despite continued counter-insurgency operations.
In Riyadh, Prime Minister al-Zaidi met with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman and pledged that Iraq would not allow its territory to be used to launch attacks against Saudi Arabia or other regional countries. 
He condemned the October 10 attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which Saudi authorities said killed 13 people and injured 309.
The visit was al-Zaidi’s first to Saudi Arabia since taking office in May. A previous trip planned for July was cancelled following joint U.S.-Saudi strikes on anti-terror groups in Iraq. Al-Zaidi returned to Baghdad later Wednesday, according to the Iraqi News Agency.
Separately, Iraqi political blocs agreed to hold a parliamentary session Thursday to vote on completing the cabinet, including four deputy prime ministers and nine vacant ministries. 
The full government has been stalled for more than five months by disputes over portfolio distribution. Parliament is also preparing to discuss the 2027 budget, with the exchange rate set at 1,520 dinars per dollar.
Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, and stressed the need to resume talks to contain regional tensions ahead of an Organization of Islamic Cooperation foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled for next week in Baghdad.