ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An Iraqi army officer was killed and two others were injured on Wednesday when an improvised explosive device detonated in Kirkuk province. “At around 6:30 this evening in the village of Tuwelaa near al-Gharra Mountain in the Dubz district, an improvised explosive device detonated on an Iraqi army military vehicle, resulting in the martyrdom of one lieutenant colonel and injuries to another lieutenant colonel and a soldier,” Amer Nuri, spokesperson for Kirkuk police, told Rudaw. The injured were transferred to a hospital in Kirkuk. The blast destroyed the vehicle. The officer who was killed was named as Laith al-Hayali, intelligence director for the 8th Division of Kirkuk Operations Command. Iraq’s defense ministry confirmed his death and vowed revenge on the “terrorists.” No group has claimed responsibility, but Islamic State (ISIS) militants are active in Kirkuk province. Seven years after it was territorially defeated in Iraq, the group remains a serious security threat, carrying out hit-and-run attacks, bombings, and abductions. The militants have taken shelter in a security vacuum in areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad, stretching across several provinces including Kirkuk, Nineveh, Diyala, and Salahaddin. The Iraqi army occasionally conducts operations and airstrikes to crack down on the hideouts of the group. Last week, the army conducted a joint operation with United States forces against ISIS hotbeds in western Anbar province, killing 16 militants. Hiwa Husamaddin and Hardi Mohammed contributed to this report
