BAGHDAD

Three Iraqi policemen were killed on Saturday in an attack by suspected Daesh/ISIS militants in the northern Kirkuk province, according to a local police officer.

Gunmen attacked a federal police checkpoint in al-Rashad district, southwest of Kirkuk, the officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

He said another policeman was injured in the attack.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.

Daesh/ISIS terrorists have in recent months escalated their attacks, especially in the area between Kirkuk, Salahuddin, and Diyala, known as the Triangle of Death.

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 Ahmed Asmar in Ankara