Iraq says kills 74 IS militants in Kirkuk on Friday

The security authority of Kirkuk province in northern Iraq said on Monday that 74 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Friday when dozens of IS militants attacked the provincial capital city of Kirkuk.

A statement issued by the provincial security committee said that the security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters foiled the attacks of some 100 IS militants.

"The security forces also detained a number of IS militants, including the leader of the attacks, who is an Iraqi national," the statement said.

The IS militants, many wearing explosive vests, attacked the police compound, a building of Kurdish security, known as Asaysh, and some government buildings and mosques inside Kirkuk, some 250 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

Local Kurdish security forces, backed by Kurdish reinforcement troops from the neighboring provinces of Sulaimaniyah and Arbil, surrounded the IS-held buildings inside the city and killed the attackers after fierce clashes.

IS militants also attacked al-Debis power plant, some 35 km northeast of Kirkuk, when at least two suicide bombers entered the station. sparking heavy clash with the guards.

The attackers took control of part of the facility and executed 16 workers, including four Iranians.

The Iranian victims were technicians of the Iranian Sunir company, which has been implementing a contract of expanding the power plant with the German Siemens company.

The attacks in Kirkuk came amid a major offensive by Iraqi security forces, backed by an international anti-IS coalition, to drive out IS militants from its last major stronghold in and around the city of Mosul in northern Iraq. Endit