Two security personnel killed as Sulaymaniyah patrol attacked by armed group

SULAYMANIYAH — A security patrol in Qaradagh, Sulaymaniyah, was ambushed by armed assailants on Friday evening, resulting in the deaths of two security personnel, officials reported. The attackers remain at large.

The Kurdistan Region’s Security Agency in Sulaymaniyah released two statements regarding the incident. Initially, the agency identified the attackers as attempting to loot a local archaeological site. However, further details emerged in a subsequent statement, attributing the violence to a group linked to the Islamic State, thus classifying the attack as a terrorist act.

“After security forces reached the site, a thorough investigation was initiated. Initial evidence points to a terrorist attack, with indications of ISIS involvement,” stated the agency. Specific details about the evidence were not disclosed.

The agency had earlier noted that the patrol was deployed at 5:00 pm on Friday to ensure the security of the area and oversee a local archaeological site when they were confronted and fatally attacked by the gunmen.

Local authorities are continuing their efforts to capture the perpetrators as the investigation progresses.

The Islamic State, which declared a caliphate in 2014 and seized large territories across Iraq and Syria, was officially driven out of Iraq in 2017 by Iraqi forces, including the Peshmerga, supported by a U.S.-led coalition. Despite losing its last stronghold in Syria in 2019, remnants of the group still pose a threat to the region.