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Battle of Kirkuk (2016)

Coordinates: 35°28′12″N 44°23′45″E / 35.4700°N 44.3958°E / 35.4700; 44.3958
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Battle of Kirkuk (2016)
Part of the War in Iraq (2013–2017)

Location within Iraq
Date21–24 October 2016[2]
(3 days)
Location
Result Peshmerga victory
Belligerents

Kurdistan Region Kurdistan Region PKK[1]
CJTF-OIR

 Islamic State
Commanders and leaders
Kurdistan Region Brig. Simko Rabati[3]
(Kirkuk security commander)
Kurdistan Region Idris Rafaat[3]
(Kirkuk security official)
Kurdistan Region Brig. Gen. Sarhad Qadir[3]
(suburban police chief)
Kurdistan Region Polad Talabani[4]
(Peshmerga Counterterrorism Group commander)
Kurdistan Region Lahur Talabany[4]
(head of Zanyari)[5]
Islamic State Abu Islam (POW)[4]
(operations leader)[2]
Islamic State Abu Qudama [6]
(Kirkuk raid commander)
Islamic State Nizar Mahmud Abdul Ghani (POW)[7]
Units involved

Kurdistan Region Kurdistan Region

Ministry of Interior

Islamic State Military of ISIL

Strength
Unknown 100 militants[2]
Casualties and losses
76 killed[4] 84 killed[4] and several captured[2]
21 civilians killed, 265 security forces members and civilians wounded overall[4]

The Battle of Kirkuk took place in the city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq between Kurdistan and allies and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[1] The battle occurred less than a week after the beginning of the Battle of Mosul launched by Iraqi security forces and allies.

The battle

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On 21 October 2016, dozens of ISIL militants and suicide bombers, supported by local sleeper cells,[2] entered Kirkuk and stormed a power station and police stations in the city, killing 18 members of security forces and power station workers, including 2–5[10] Iranian workers. The ISIL militants captured a mosque and an abandoned hotel and barricaded themselves inside.[11] Hours later, ISIL captured 2 more hotels and holed themselves in. Over 20 ISIL militants were killed,[10] as security forces recaptured most of the buildings.[3]

By the next day, ISIL forces still held parts of the Aruba District and a hotel,[8] though these were retaken later on. Government forces then began a mop-up operation to clear the city of remaining militants, with some of the latter blowing themselves as they were cornered.[12] Many local civilians had also taken up arms, hunting, capturing and killing ISIL fighters.[8]

On 23 October, several remaining ISIL attackers attempted to flee the city, with five being killed[13] and the ISIL operations leader captured by security forces.[2] On 24 October, the last ISIL fighters in Kirkuk were killed, including the raid commander Abu Qudama, a senior ISIL military figure of Hawija,[6] so that the governor of Kirkuk, Nadschmeddin Karim, could declare the city completely cleared of militants.[2] On the next day, security forces arrested Nizar Mahmud Abdul Ghani, a cousin of former President of Iraq Saddam Hussein, for having participated in the Kirkuk raid.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Clashes between Kurdish forces and ISIS in south Kirkuk". ANF News. ANF News. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "IRAQI FORCES KILL 74 ISIS FIGHTERS IN KIRKUK, ENDING THREE-DAY ASSAULT". Newsweek. 24 October 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d "LIVE UPDATES: ISIS attacks Kirkuk". Rudaw. 22 October 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Michael R. Gordon (29 October 2016). "Seeking Clues to ISIS Strategy in Corpses and Cellphones Left in Kirkuk". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Lahur Talabani". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
  6. ^ a b c "Islamic State militants behind Kirkuk attack arrested, ringleader killed". ARA News. 25 October 2016. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Saddam's cousin arrested for participating in ISIS attack on Kirkuk". Iraqi News. 25 October 2016.
  8. ^ a b c "ISIS attacks Kirkuk in attempt to delay Hawija operation, distract Mosul campaign". ARA News. 22 October 2016. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Kirkuk raid offers glimpse of post-caliphate IS: Analysts".
  10. ^ a b "Peshmerga and security repel multiple IS attacks in Kirkuk". Kurdistan 24. 21 October 2016.
  11. ^ "Islamic State attacks Kirkuk as Iraqi forces push on Mosul". Reuters. 21 October 2016.
  12. ^ "Iraqi forces hunt IS militants in Kirkuk". SBS. 22 October 2016.
  13. ^ "5 ISIS members killed while trying to flee south of Kirkuk". Iraqi News. 23 October 2016.

35°28′12″N 44°23′45″E / 35.4700°N 44.3958°E / 35.4700; 44.3958