Afrasiyaw Kamil, spokesperson for Kirkuk Police, told Rudaw that a group of ISIS militants stormed a village in the town of Abbasi, near Hawija, killing three members of one family.
The slain were a mother and two sons, he explained, adding that the reason for the attack is still unclear.
“After killing the three, the gunmen immediately left the village and ran away,” he noted.
The town of Abbasi fell under ISIS control in 2014. It was recaptured by Iraqi forces in September 2017.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over ISIS in Iraq on December 9, 2017.
The group, however, has launched sporadic and surprise attacks around Kirkuk and Iraq-Syria border areas, resulting in fatalities.
Elements of ISIS groups continue to operate in Iraq, but Iraqi security forces have brought situations under control, chief Pentagon spokesperson Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. told reporters this week.
