2022 Kirkuk bombing

{{Infobox civilian attack

| title = 2022 Kirkuk bombing

| location = Kirkuk, Iraq

| date = 18 December 2022

| target = police officers

| type = bombing

| fatalities = 10 (including a perpetrator)

| injuries = 2

| victims =

}}

{{Short description|Terrorist incident in Iraq}}

On 18 December 2022, at least nine police officers were killed when a convoy hit a roadside bomb near Kirkuk, Iraq.{{Cite web |title=At least nine police killed in blast near Iraq's Kirkuk |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/18/at-least-reportedly-eight-killed-in-blast-near-iraqs-kirkuk |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |archive-date=2022-12-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218084857/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/18/at-least-reportedly-eight-killed-in-blast-near-iraqs-kirkuk |url-status=live }} The bombing was followed by a gun fight. One Islamic State militant was reported killed.{{Cite web |date=December 18, 2022 |title=Nine Iraqi police killed in suspected ISIS ambush in Kirkuk |url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/30232-Nine-Iraqi-police-killed-in-suspected-ISIS-ambush-in-Kirkuk |website=Kurdistan 24 |access-date=December 18, 2022 |archive-date=December 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218123117/https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/30232-Nine-Iraqi-police-killed-in-suspected-ISIS-ambush-in-Kirkuk |url-status=live }} The incident happened near the village of Chalal al-Matar.{{Cite news |date=2022-12-18 |title=Iraq: At least seven police killed in bomb and gun attack |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64016600 |access-date=2022-12-18 |archive-date=2022-12-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218102615/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64016600 |url-status=live }} The Islamic State (IS) have reportedly claimed that they carried out the attack on their Telegram channel.{{Cite web |title=Nine Iraqi policemen killed in blast near northern city of Kirkuk |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/18/at-least-reportedly-eight-killed-in-blast-near-iraqs-kirkuk |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |archive-date=2022-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220002645/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/18/at-least-reportedly-eight-killed-in-blast-near-iraqs-kirkuk |url-status=live }} The attack comes as IS militants in recent weeks have been exploiting the volatile security situation in Kirkuk and nearby provinces.