Body of slain Islamic State’s photojournalist found in Kirkuk

Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) A slain Islamic State photojournalist was found in an agricultural land, south of Kirkuk, a local source from the province was quoted saying.

“Body of a slain photojournalist from the group’s Amaq news agency was found in an agricultural land, near al-Riyadh district, south of Kirkuk,” the source told AlSumaria News on Friday.

“Several IS militants were killed under mysterious circumstances over the past few months at regions that are still under the group’s control,” according to the source, who preferred anonymity. “It’s said that such crimes are either carried out by opponent groups or by group itself.”

Last month, a cameraman working for Amaq was reportedly found beheaded at a country road in the same region.

Kirkuk has a mixed population of Kurds, Turkmens and Arabs. The southern and western regions in the province have been under IS control since June 2014.

IS holds pivotal regions that link between each of Diyala, Salahuddin and Kirkuk, posing threats to the liberated regions.

Several anonymous attacks against IS members have been reported over the past months since Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition, launched a campaign to retake areas occupied by IS militants.