ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Clashes erupted early Saturday between Iraqi forces and Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Kirkuk’s Hawija district, leaving a number of militants dead and injured, while Iraqi troops sustained no casualties, amid rising activity by the group in the province.

ISIS fighters opened fire on an Iraqi army checkpoint in the district early Saturday before fleeing the area and being ambushed by Iraqi security forces in the village of al-Burghaliya, leading to an armed confrontation that lasted half an hour, according to information obtained by The New Region.

The New Region has learned that the clash left a number of ISIS militants dead and wounded, although the exact toll is not immediately known, while Iraqi forces sustained no casualties.

The incident comes amid increased ISIS-linked attacks in Kirkuk, with remnants of the group operating in the province’s rural areas, prompting frequent airstrikes by Iraqi forces and counterterrorism units.

On Tuesday, Iraqi security forces arrested a suspected leader in the organization during an operation that left one police officer dead in Hawija, according to an announcement by the country’s Security Media Cell.

In late September, following a clash with ISIS remnants, Iraqi counterterrorism forces falsely identified a Kurdish youth as a suspected ISIS member. The operation also led to the death of another bystander, another Kurdish teenager.

The incident sparked uproar among the Kurdish public and political officials, demanding justice for the teenagers and their families.

The clashes come following the withdrawal of the US-led coalition against ISIS from Iraq in late September, in accordance with an agreement between Baghdad and Washington.