Iraqi forces prevent suicide bombing in eastern Kirkuk’s Daquq district

KIRKUK — Iraqi forces thwarted a potential suicide bombing near the Zaitouna Restaurant along the Daquq-Khurmatu road in Daquq District, located in eastern Kirkuk Governorate. The attacker was neutralized before they could detonate their explosive vest, officials confirmed Saturday.

According to information obtained by 964media, a suspect wearing an explosive vest was intercepted by the 87th Commando Brigade of Iraq’s Special Forces. Acting on intelligence, security forces confronted the attacker, who was attempting to target a crowded location. The individual was killed before reaching their intended target.

Lt. Col. Mohammed Mardan, head of Daquq’s General Police, told 964media, “Our intelligence team had information about a potential terrorist attack in the Daquq area. Security units pursued the suspect and neutralized them before they could reach the crowded Zaitouna Restaurant.”

A significant security presence has been deployed to the scene, including bomb disposal teams to defuse any remaining explosives. Mardan added, “The explosive vest did not detonate, and only the attacker was neutralized.”

Eyewitnesses at the Zaitouna Restaurant described a tense situation leading up to the incident. “A little before the attack, we noticed the suspect and felt something was off because of their unusual behavior,” said Mohammed Saeed, the restaurant owner. “Shortly after, security forces arrived, searched the area, and intercepted the suspect as they entered the market section of the restaurant.”

Further investigations revealed that the attacker was a key security operative for ISIS in the Daquq area. According to Lt. Col. Mardan, the terrorist was a resident of the village of Khasha in the region.

“The operation was carried out by a special unit dispatched from Baghdad, who had detailed intelligence on the suspect,” Mardan noted. Bomb disposal units confirmed that the attacker’s explosives were rendered safe approximately an hour after the incident.

Daquq, a district in the eastern part of Kirkuk Governorate, has been a hotspot for security challenges due to its strategic location and history of insurgent activity. Security forces continue to monitor the site, collecting surveillance footage and conducting further investigations to understand the full scope of the plot.

ISIS has strategically exploited security gaps in Iraq’s disputed territories—regions contested between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government—to conduct its operations. These areas, including parts of Diyala, Kirkuk, Salah Al-Din, and Nineveh provinces, have experienced a security vacuum due to the absence of coordinated control, allowing ISIS to establish a foothold.

ISIS capitalized on these gaps, using them as safe havens to regroup and launch attacks. The rugged terrain and limited security presence in these areas have further facilitated ISIS’s mobility and operational planning.

In response, Iraqi security forces, often collaborating with international partners, have intensified operations to dismantle these residual elements. Notably, in October 2024, a joint operation between U. S. and Iraqi forces resulted in the death of Jassim al-Mazroui Abu Abdul Qader, the ISIS leader in Iraq, along with eight senior leaders in the Hamrin Mountains.