October 21
More than 30 ISIS terrorists snuck into the city of Kirkuk through a tunnel filled with dirt from Haweja district. The terrorists’ initial plan was to take control of the old police headquarters, but they failed when police forces stopped the terrorists to enter the building obligating one suicide bomber to blow himself up. Other terrorist groups attacked few strategic high buildings in the city with sniper rifles and suicide vests to target the security forces on the ground. While the terrorists failed to remain in the buildings, another terrorist group launched a suicide attack on the governorate building in an attempt to distract the security forces; they also failed when governor’s guards and the police thwart the attack.
Police sources said ISIS had five groups of four to six terrorists who attacked five locations. Kirkuk’s security forces caught one woman believed to be one of the sleeper cells.
Kirkuk’s security forces cleared the city from the terrorists completely late night on Friday.
In results of the attacks, ten civilians were killed by the terrorists including four foreign engineers at a power plant in Dibis district. Seven security forces also were martyred while most of ISIS fighters were either killed or captured.
Kirkuk Police, Peshmerga forces, Counter Terrorism Group (CTG), and Asayish forces (Public Security) all took part in this fight against the ISIS terrorists in Kirkuk city.