ISIS attack in northern Iraq kills two army officers

Country's Joint Operations Command vows to 'shake the ground under their feet' with its response

The bodies of Iraqi soldiers at Kirkuk airport in northern Iraq on June 11. They were killed in an attack blamed on ISIS. AFP

ISIS militants attacked a northern Iraq army barracks on Saturday night, killing two officers and wounding three soldiers.

The attack took place in Al Multaqa subdistrict of Al Dibis area outside the northern city of Kirkuk, Iraq's Joint Operations Command said on Sunday.

“At 10pm yesterday, terrorist elements attacked with light and medium weapons a military barracks,” it said.

The JOC said ISIS was behind the “cowardly act”. An investigation has been launched, it added.

It vowed an “immediate and unexpected response that will shake the ground under their feet”.

The JOC did not say whether there were causalities among the attackers.

In mid-2014, ISIS overran large parts of Iraq and Syria, declaring a caliphate in the neighbouring countries.

Iraqi forces, backed by a US-led international coalition, reclaimed all the territory in Iraq held by ISIS in late 2017 after three years of fighting.

However, the terrorist group's cells continue to mount hit-and-run attacks, particularly in the vast desert regions of northern and western Iraq, near the border with Syria.

Iraqi security forces have been launching almost daily air strikes and small-scale military operations against ISIS in remote areas.

On Thursday, regional and world leaders gathered in Saudi Arabia to discuss ways to confront ISIS activities around the world.

During the meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that the war against ISIS was not over.

“Extremists are attempting to seize opportunities to launch attacks again,” Mr Blinken said after the meeting in Riyadh.

“We must stay committed to our goals to ensuring stability in countries targeted by ISIS.”

He warned that ISIS fighters and their families staying in displacement camps in the region could lead to the group's resurgence.