Peshmerga condemns ISIS attack in Diyala, warns of danger of persistent security vacuum

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Peshmerga strongly condemned the early Friday ISIS attack, which killed 11 soldiers, including an officer, in Diyala Province.

The ministry said in a statement, "We strongly condemn the terrorist act committed by ISIS militants against the Iraqi army, which led to the martyrdom of a number of fighters of the Iraqi Army's First Division in al-Azim district, in Diyala province."

The army barracks that came under assault is located in a mountainous area north of Baghdad early Friday, with ISIS fighters killing 11 soldiers as they slept, Iraqi security officials said.

Read: ISIS gunmen in Iraq kill 11 soldiers in brazen barracks attack

The Kurdish ministry called for continued coordination and cooperation to eliminate terrorists, noting ISIS remains a serious threat to Iraq's security. It also stressed working together is an "urgent necessity" in the disputed territories, where security vacuums are persistent.