According to a statement by the federal police Regiment 1 of Police Brigade 19 was conducting an operation searching for IS hideouts and sites in Tal al-Basal village in Daquq district when they were ambushed by militants.

“The deputy commander of the regiment, another officer, and four other policemen were killed,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, IS militants have published photos in recent days that show armed men walking in what it claimed was the mountainous area of Hamrin south of Kirkuk, but it was not clear if the images were recent.

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