Police chief, son killed in Daesh-blamed attack in Iraq

By Ali Mukarrem Garip

KIRKUK, Iraq (AA) - A police chief and his son were killed in an armed attack blamed on Daesh in Kirkuk, Iraq, police said Sunday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Kirkuk Police Director Khattab Omar said Fadel es-Sabavi, the head of Sheria Police Station in al-Riyad neighborhood, and his son were attacked Sunday evening.

Omar blamed Daesh militants for the killings, saying that the presence of the terrorist group continued despite liberation of the region by the Iraqi army.

Upon the instruction of Iraq Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, federal forces launched military operations on Oct. 16 with a view to securing Iraq’s oil-rich Kirkuk province and other territories “disputed” between the KRG and Baghdad.

The Peshmerga, which had held these territories since mid-2014, withdrew without incident, leaving them to Iraqi federal forces.