HAWIJA, Iraq — The area southwest of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk has seen several attacks and anti-Islamic State (IS) operations this month. Five foreign IS members, including two leaders, were reportedly killed in the Rashad subdistrict April 9, while "tunnels and guesthouses'' used by IS were destroyed April 10.
Two days later, IS injured four federal police officers in an attack in the same subdistrict and killed a "man in front of his family for cooperating with security forces," while destroying and burning down several homes for the same reason.