ISIS attack kills Kurdish fighter in eastern Iraq

Diyala incident is the third assault by the terrorist group on Peshmerga forces this week

Peshmerga fighters in Iraq have clashed with ISIS three times in recent days. Photo: Hawre Khalid / Metrography

ISIS killed a member of the Kurdish security forces and injured three others on Monday in an attack in eastern Iraq's Diyala province.

The terrorist group has stepped up its operations against Kurdish forces, known as the Peshmerga, in recent days.

The Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs said its ninth Infantry Brigade was the target of Monday's attack in Diyala's Kifri district.

“As a result of our defence by our forces, the ISIS attack was destroyed but unfortunately one Peshmerga was [killed] and three others wounded,” it said.

It added that its forces foiled another attack by the militants in Diyala on Sunday night. No deaths or injuries were announced.

ISIS seized large areas of Iraq in a lightning offensive in 2014, before being beaten back by a counter-insurgency campaign supported by a US-led military coalition.

Since 2014, the US has led an international coalition in Iraq to fight the terrorist group.

On Saturday night, ISIS attacked the southern Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah, killing five Peshmerga fighters and wounding four others.

Two days later, the militants claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack.

The move prompted Kurdish officials to talk about the "serious threat" ISIS still poses to the region.

KRG President Nichervan Barzani said, "the expansion and continuation of ISIS attacks sends an alarming message with real threats to the entire region".

Mr Barzani called for "greater co-operation and co-ordination” between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi army. He also sought support "of greatest urgency and highest priority" from the international coalition forces.

The US consulate in Erbil said on Sunday that it strongly condemned the attack and reiterated its support for the Peshmerga and Iraq's security forces in their fight against ISIS.