Iraqi police officer killed in ISIS attack near Kirkuk

On Monday, an Iraqi police officer named Bakr Majid Mohammed Al Lami was killed by ISIS militants during an attack on his guard post near Kirkuk, according to the interior ministry. This marks the first ISIS assault against Iraqi security forces since the US-led coalition withdrew from Iraq on September 30, 2021. The attackers utilized semi-automatic machineguns and sniper fire against the federal police post located in the Al Barghaliyah area.

While there was no claim of responsibility, two security sources informed Reuters of the incident. The US-led military mission, which began in 2014 to assist Iraqi forces in combating ISIS, had previously aimed to prevent the group from regrouping. Following the coalition's departure, Iraqi forces have assumed responsibility for the nation's security and the suppression of any remaining ISIS elements.

However, the US has pledged to continue providing training and intelligence support. Shortly before the withdrawal, Iraqi security forces successfully eliminated two suspected ISIS suicide bombers in Kirkuk's northern province. Despite the territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq in late 2017, remnants have persisted in small cells within remote areas, such as deserts and valleys.

Surprisingly, clashes with militant fighters are uncommon in urban settings. Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi's government, along with its supporters, including the Co-ordination Framework, asserts that Iraqi forces are capable of maintaining security independently, arguing that ending the foreign combat presence restores full sovereignty.

Conversely, opponents, encompassing some Sunni and Kurdish politicians, as well as security analysts, voice concerns regarding the Iraqi forces' ability to contain ISIS without the coalition's air power, intelligence, and logistical support.