ERBIL — Islamic State (IS) militants on Tuesday night fired multiple rockets onto Islah village of Khanaqin, north of Diyala province, leaving two women injured, officials said.
The attack also sparked panic among the residents of the village where Sunni and Shia Arabs live together. The village has been targeted by the extremist group regularly.
A local source told BasNews that the security forces in the area responded to the attack, but a fierce confrontation left two soldiers injured as well.
Meanwhile, the jihadists ambushed a military convoy driving towards the area to provide assistance to the combat force. The vehicles were hit by RPG fire, but no casualties were reported from the third attack.
READ MORE: Multiple Terrorist Attacks Reported in Iraq in 24 Hours
On Sunday, the area had also suffered another attack by the Islamic State. The extremist group detonated an improvised explosive device near a federal police checkpoint in the suburb of Daquq, killing a worker and wounding three others who were working on a construction project in the area.
Diyala, Kirkuk, Salahaddin, Nineveh, and Anbar are among the provinces most challenged by the terrorist attacks of the Islamic State which equally target security forces and civilians.
READ MORE: IS Militants Kill Six Iraqi Policemen in Salahaddin Province
The Iraqi government announced full victory over IS in December 2017 when it liberated the last swath of territories from the group. Ever since, the remaining IS militants have resorted to insurgency war, mainly in the disputed Kurdish areas where enjoy a security gap left by the Iraqi forces.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government of Iraq are now working to establish two joint brigades, which will be supported by the US-led Global Coalition, to be deployed to the vulnerable areas and prevent the regrouping of the militants.