Islamic State Launches Surprise Attack on Kirkuk as Coalition Focuses on Mosul

While U.S. coalition forces were focusing on the Mosul offensive, which just claimed the first American life, an Islamic State attack on Kirkuk took them by surprise. The Obama administration and U.S. military officials have argued for weeks they expected the Islamic State to go underground and revert to guerrilla tactics once they’re pushed out of Mosul.

But they haven’t been pushed out of Mosul and ISIS militants in uniform just launched a brazen, conventional military attack on the Kurdish city Friday resulted in gun battles with security forces. Early reports claim roughly two dozen civilians and security forces have been killed, and some of the Islamic militant fighters are holding a hotel in the center of the city.

While the guns battles rage in Kirkuk, another group of ISIS fighters–including three suicide bombers–targeted a power station north of the city, slaughtering over a dozen workers, including some from Iran.

Still, the push for Mosul continues. Thousands of ISIS fighters are still in and around Mosul, though U.S. officials claim the noose is tightening. But it’s coming at a heavy cost. Kurdish fighters, who opened a new front north of the city on Thursday are being battered by waves of suicide car bombers and fighters with suicide belts who are ambushing the Kurds from fortified houses once they enter a village.