Two military personnel killed in IED bomb explosion in northern Iraq

Two Iraqi military personnel are reported to have been killed on Wednesday 14 October when an improvised explosive device exploded during an inspection operation in Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk, Iraq's defense ministry said, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Those killed have been named online as Iraqi Army brigadier Ahath Yasser Khudhair Hussein and deputy officer Mutaz Shahid Abbas.

The ministry's spokesman Yahya Rasoul said in a statement the blast occurred when an IED left behind by Islamic State militants exploded during an inspection duty at the site after a recent airstrike targeting an IS hideout. Three other soldiers were wounded in the blast and transferred to a hospital for treatment.

While Iraq declared victory over IS in 2017, the group's remnants continue to carry out attacks against security forces and civilians in cities, deserts and remote areas.