Bomb, gun attack kills at least 7 police officers in Iraq

At least seven police officers have been killed in a bomb and gun attack in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq.

According to the BBC, the attack took place about 293km from the capital Baghdad on December 18.

While no group has yet claimed responsibility for the killings, officials blame the Islamic State group.

The attack began when a bomb blast targeted a truck carrying police near the village of Chalal al-Matar, the publication cites AFP.

The blast was followed by "a direct attack with small arms".

"An assailant has been killed and we are looking for the others," the official added, saying that another two policemen were also wounded in the attack.

Earlier on December 14, a roadside bomb killed three Iraqi soldiers near Baghdad, for which the IS confirmed their involvement.