The
assault was one of the most aggressive undertaken against Kirkuk in
months by the Islamic State, the jihadist group that straddles a large
stretch of Iraq and Syria. The city, in northern Iraq, is an oil hub
that is seen as central to the aspiration of Iraqi Kurdish leaders and
that poses an attractive strategic target for the Islamic State, also
known as ISIS or ISIL.
Families
fled their homes as the fighting intensified, and at one point, the
militants stormed an abandoned hotel in the Kirkuk city center.
The
deadly foray demonstrated the continued ability of Islamic
State fighters to harass Iraq’s cities, despite a punishing months long
campaign by Iraqi forces backed by United States airstrikes to dislodge
the extremists.
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