A group of ISIS militants attacked a point of the Peshmerga forces in Kulajo sub-district in Diyala province on Saturday night.

Five members of the Kurdish forces were killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) hit a unit of the Peshmerga forces who went to back the other forces attacked by the militants.

Four other Peshmerga were wounded, according to the Peshmerga ministry.

“The continued ISIS attacks are a serious and dangerous message, and pose a real threat and danger to the region,” Barzani said in a statement.

“Therefore, more coordination and cooperation between Peshmerga and the Iraqi military backed by the Coalition forces are an urgent need and a priority,” he added.

The president also called for the expansion of a mechanism and coordination between the related institutions of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq in order to confront the militants and threats in the country.

ISIS militants have increased attacks against Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the disputed areas claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad.

Earlier this month, the militants carried out two attacks against the Peshmerga forces in the disputed areas.

On October 31, two members of the Peshmerga forces were killed in another ISIS attack near Pirde, south of Erbil.

The Peshmerga ministry said the militants continued to use a security gap between the Iraqi and Kurdish forces to attack the Peshmerga.

To fill the gaps, the Iraqi military and Peshmerga forces established four joint operation rooms in Khanaqin, Makhmour, Kirkuk and Mosul to exchange information and launch joint operations against the militants.

They are now working to establish two joint brigades to protect the disputed territories from ISIS attacks.

Iraq declared victory over Islamic State in December 2017 but the militants have regrouped in the Hamrin mountain range which extends into the northern provinces – an area described by officials as a “triangle of death”.

Reporter's code: 50101