Kurdish Peshmerga forces early Friday repelled an attempted attack by Islamic State (ISIS) militants on a frontline position in the Tuz Khurmatu district of Salahaddin province, according to a local commander.

“We are aware of recent movements by Daesh [ISIS] militants in our region, and our forces are always on standby,” Peshmerga commander Mohammed Chawri told Rudaw. He said the militants’ movements had been monitored in recent days using surveillance cameras.

Chawri explained that ISIS fighters attempted to advance toward Peshmerga positions but were met with gunfire. “The militants wanted to advance to martyr Peshmerga. Our forces repelled them and opened fire. They failed to advance, returned fire, and eventually fled,” he said.

He added that any pursuit or follow-up operations against ISIS elements in the area require coordination and approval from both the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Peshmerga.

Iraqi army units and Kurdish Peshmerga forces regularly conduct joint and coordinated operations against ISIS in the disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad, which include parts of Nineveh, Salahaddin, Diyala, and Kirkuk provinces. These areas have long been considered vulnerable due to security gaps and overlapping authorities.

ISIS captured large swathes of Iraqi territory during a sweeping offensive in 2014 but was declared territorially defeated in 2017 following a military campaign led by Iraqi and Kurdish forces with support from a US-led international coalition. Despite its defeat, the group continues to operate in remote and rugged المناطق, carrying out sporadic attacks on security forces and civilians.

Tuz Khurmatu, located about 65 kilometers south of Kirkuk, is a ethnically and socially diverse district inhabited by Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen. ISIS has remained active in some of its remote areas, posing persistent threats to local villagers and security forces.

The district underwent major security changes after Iraqi federal forces retook control in October 2017, following the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum. The move led to the withdrawal of Kurdish security forces and the displacement of many Kurdish residents.