ISIS militants kill five in attack near northern Iraqi village

The attack outside the city of Kirkuk was the latest in a series of assaults by ISIS in less than a week

Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers in Iraq. ISIS militants are using hit-and-run tactics in night attacks on their positions, the troops say. Photo: EPA

Iraq boosted security on Monday in a volatile area in the country's north, a day after ISIS militants killed four Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers and a civilian.

The attack near Qara Salem village outside the city of Kirkuk was the latest in a series of assaults by ISIS within a week, in areas disputed by the federal government and the northern Kurdish region, security officials said.

The Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs said the attack caused casualties, but did not confirm the toll. Security sources told media outlets that at least six people were also wounded.

Iraqi army and counter-terrorism troops were sent to the area along with Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers and conducted search operations, a security official said.

"ISIS is taking advantage of the absence of security forces in this area that borders the provinces of Kirkuk, Ninevah and Salahuddin," he added.

After driving ISIS out from vast areas in northern and western Iraq, many disputed areas were left under-protected due to lack of co-ordination between the Peshmerga and Baghdad's security forces.

Sunday's attack comes days after an assault by ISIS militants on a village in northern Iraq which killed at least 13 people – three villagers and 10 Kurdish soldiers.

One Peshmerga colonel said ISIS fighters were using hit-and-run tactics in night attacks on their positions.

"They avoid holding the ground for a long time. More reinforcement forces were dispatched to the area to prevent further attacks," the colonel said.

Iraqi security forces units have been sent to the area to help the Peshmerga, a military source said.

The militant group also briefly seized control of Luhaiban village in northern Iraq a day after attacking it, security sources told Reuters on Sunday. It was a rare case of ISIS militants controlling a residential area near a main road, a motorway that links Erbil to the city of Kirkuk, after the group was driven out of the country in 2017.

The Joint Operation Command said on Monday it had secured Luhaiban, allowing the residents to return.