BAGHDAD

Three Iraqi soldiers were killed in a bomb explosion in the northern Kirkuk province on Monday, according to a local police officer.

An explosive device planted by Daesh/ISIS terrorists exploded at a military vehicle in a rural area in Daquq district in Kirkuk, the officer said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.

A fourth soldier was injured in the attack.

Iraqi forces have launched a manhunt for the attackers, the officer said.

Monday’s attack was the second by Daesh/ISIS terrorists in less than a week after the terror group killed 11 soldiers in a deadly attack on Friday in the eastern Diyala province.

In recent months, suspected Daesh/ISIS terrorists have stepped up attacks, particularly in the area between Kirkuk, Saladin, and Diyala.

In 2017, Iraq declared victory over Daesh/ISIS by reclaiming all territories the terrorist group controlled since the summer of 2014, which was estimated to be about a third of the country’s territory.

The group, however, still maintains sleeper cells in large areas in Iraq and occasionally launches sporadic attacks.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar