13 Iraqi police officers killed in ISIS attack, says report

Gunmen opened fire at a federal police checkpoint in rural northern Iraq, sparking clashes that killed 13 police, a security official said Sunday. He blamed the attack on Islamic State militants.

The attack late Saturday on the checkpoint in Satiha village in Kirkuk province also wounded five police. The security official said the clashes with the militants lasted for nearly an hour.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to reporters.

The militant group did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack. But northern Iraq has been a hotspot for IS activity since its territorial defeat