Several Iraqi policemen were killed on Sunday after an improvised explosive device exploded in their convoy southwest of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, and Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
A source told Al Jazeera that 9 policemen were killed in the bombing, while Reuters reported that the bombing killed 8 and seriously wounded two, while Agence France-Presse reported that the number of dead was 7 and wounded 3.
AFP quoted a security source in Kirkuk as saying that "ISIS elements attacked a tanker belonging to the first regiment of the Second Brigade of the Federal Police's mechanized division with an improvised explosive device."
The source added that the attack was accompanied by a "direct attack with light and medium weapons" in the village of Shalal al-Matar, 65 km from the center of Kirkuk province, explaining that "we killed one of their attacking elements, and we are working to search for the other elements."
On Tuesday evening, IS claimed responsibility for the attack and said in a Telegram statement that its fighters had attacked "a federal police patrol. They detonated an explosive device and then attacked them with machine guns and grenades."
Iraqi security forces have been conducting ongoing operations against ISIS cells, announcing from time to time that dozens of them have been killed in air strikes or ground raids.