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Battles in Iraq's Kirkuk claim 57 lives

BADHDAD, Oct 21 (KUNA) -- At least 40 people were killed and 120 others injured in clashes between the Iraqi security forces and militants from the so-called Islamic State (IS or Da'esh) in Kirkuk province, north Iraq, on Friday.
The victims, mainly civil servants and security personnel, fell when IS militants who penetrated the province in the small hours today, attacked two police stations and Dibis power plant in Domiz district of Kirkuk, a security source told KUNA.
The security services restored control over the situation after killing several IS militants and imposed curfew in the area, the source said, noting that sporadic clashes continued until this evening.
Separately, 17 women were killed and dozens of others injured as a result of an air attack on a mourning ceremony in Daqok town, to the south of Kirkuk.
The source of the air attack has yet to be specified, the source added.
Earlier today the Iraqi military media department reported that IS group launched suicide attacks on Al-Adala and Domiz police stations, the premises of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Dibis power plant.
The department noted that the security forces killed the majority of the attackers, tracked down the remnants, imposed curfew and restored control over the situation.
The IS attack, the first such coordinated attack in the province, is apparently meant to distract the attention of the Iraqi forces from the ongoing fight to restore Mosul from the group. (end) ahh.gb