ISIS Claims Responsibility for Attack That Killed Policeman Near Kirkuk

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On Tuesday, ISIS announced its responsibility for an attack that occurred on Monday, resulting in the death of an Iraqi federal police officer and injuries to others southwest of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. This attack is the first reported assault that the organization's militants have launched against Iraqi security forces since U.S. troops completed their withdrawal from Iraq on September 30, ending their military mission in the country.

The militants used semi-automatic rifles and sniper fire in the attack on a federal police regiment near Hawija, about 70 kilometers southwest of Kirkuk. The United States led a coalition to support Iraqi forces in the war against ISIS, including efforts to prevent the armed group from regrouping. Washington stated that it would continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support after the withdrawal, and that Iraqi forces would take full responsibility for the country's security and suppressing the remnants of ISIS. Iraqi security officials told Reuters before the U.S. withdrawal that despite the defeat of the 'caliphate' that the organization unilaterally declared nearly a decade ago, the group still retains sleeper cells in Iraq.

The U.S. withdrawal has raised concerns that the security vacuum may provide an opportunity for ISIS to regain strength, as some officials warned that Iraqi forces would now find themselves forced to contain the organization without military support from the coalition.