ISIS flag raised for 2nd time in Iraq’s Kirkuk in nearly a week

Shafaq News/ Iraqi security forces cordoned off a village in Kirkuk province, northern Iraq, after an ISIS flag was raised there, a security source reported on Friday.

The source told Shafaq News, "A security force surrounded the village of Khalid in Daquq, south of Kirkuk, after an ISIS flag was raised at the gate of one of its schools."

"The force is conducting a search and investigation to apprehend the perpetrators," he added.

About a week ago, a similar incident occurred in the Hawija district, southwest of Kirkuk, where the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) captured the perpetrators.

Despite being declared defeated in Iraq in 2017, ISIS remnants persist in rural and less secure areas, including Kirkuk. The group’s continued presence in the region is attributed to Kirkuk's strategic and ongoing security vacuums, which ISIS exploits to conduct attacks and sustain its foothold.