BAGHDAD (AP) – A roadside bomb attack by Daesh terrorists in northern Iraq killed five Kurdish forces and wounded four others, Kurdish state news agency Rudaw reported Sunday.
The victims were killed in the Garmian district in Iraq’s Kurdish-run north late Saturday. Daesh terrorists then attacked a Peshmerga post, wounding four, according to the report.
Attacks targeting Iraqi security forces, including Kurdish Peshmerga forces, are common and have been on the rise since Daesh was defeated on the battlefield in 2017. Militants remain active through sleeper cells in many areas, especially across a band of territory in the north under dispute between federal Iraq and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government.
Daesh terrorists still conduct operations, often targeting security forces, power stations and other infrastructure.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani offered condolences to the families of the dead Sunday.
“The increase in the (Daesh) attacks sends a dangerous and serious message and brings forth a serious threat in the region. Therefore, further cooperation between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi security forces with support from the global coalition is an urgent need,” he said in a statement.
The security situation in Iraq has been improving since the Iraqi forces defeated Daesh in 2017. However, remnants of the terrorist group have since melted into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.