Overview

• Four Iraqi troops were killed and three wounded in an ambush by Islamic State militants near Kirkuk.
• The attack occurred while the soldiers were on a reconnaissance mission in a rugged area southwest of Kirkuk.
• Iraq's Interior Ministry confirmed the ambush and stated that actions are being taken to track down the terrorist cell responsible.
• The incident follows the U.S. military's announcement to withdraw its coalition troops from Iraq by next year, though they will remain in Syria until 2026.
• Despite losing its territorial control in 2019, IS has nearly doubled its attacks this year, claiming 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria in the first six months of 2024.