Islamic State claims attack on army post in northern Iraq

Islamic State claimed responsibility on Tuesday for an attack on Monday targeting an army post in northern Iraq which security sources said had killed a commanding officer and four soldiers.

The attack took place between Diyala and Salahuddin provinces, a rural area that remains a hotbed of activity for militant cells years after Iraq declared final victory over the extremist group in 2017.

Security forces repelled the attack, the defence ministry said on Monday in a statement mourning the loss of a colonel and a number of others from the regiment. The security sources said five others had also been wounded.

Islamic State said in a statement on Telegram it had targeted the barracks with machine guns and grenades.

In January, Iraqi authorities said that they ambushed Islamic State 32 members, detaining dozens across several provinces which have recently seen a spike in militant activity.

The US military said in December that the Islamic State group had an 'army' of fighters held at detention facilities in Iraq and Syria, both countries IS continues to wage a low-level insurgency in despite being territorially defeated years ago.

Iraq has seen relative security stability in recent years after the chaos of the 2003-US-led invasion and years of bloody sectarian conflict that followed.

(Reuters)