ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – At least one member of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) was killed and another injured in an attack by unidentified gunmen in Kirkuk’s Pirde (Altun Kupri) subdistrict early Thursday.

In a statement, the PMF said a checkpoint of its Brigade 16 was subjected to “an armed terrorist attack” at around 2:00AM, resulting in the death of Ali Bahjat Hamed, one of the brigade’s fighters.

Junaid Ismat Bahjat, another member of the brigade, was also wounded in the attack and transferred to a hospital for treatment, the statement added.

The PMF’s Brigade 16 is comprised of fighters from the Turkmen Power armed faction and the pro-Iran Badr Organization.

“The relevant authorities are continuing their investigation to uncover the circumstances of the attack and identify the perpetrators,” read the statement from the paramilitary umbrella group.

Pirde, a multi-ethnic town on the road between Kirkuk and Erbil, is made up of a Turkmen majority and a Kurdish and Arab minority. It is part of Dibis district, northwest of Kirkuk, which has for years been a hub for Islamic State (ISIS) remnants.

ISIS remnants pose a threat to the town’s security due to security gaps, frequently carrying out attacks against security forces positioned in the area.

It has yet to be confirmed if ISIS was behind Thursday’s attack.

On July 4, an Iraqi counterterrorism officer was killed in clashes with ISIS remnants, after Iraqi F-16 fighter jets struck the group’s hideouts in Dibis. An ISIS member was also killed in the clashes.