At least 19 people have been killed, after Islamic State militants launched a counter-offensive on the city of Kirkuk, in northeastern Iraq.
Islamic State militants have mounted a ferocious counter-attack in northern Iraq, killing at least 19 people in and around the city of Kirkuk.
They attacked government buildings, killing at least six police officers, and a power station under construction, where 13 employees died, officials say.
Twelve Islamic State fighters also reportedly died and fighting seems to be continuing.
Government and Kurdish forces began a long-awaited operation against the Islamic State capital in Iraq, Mosul, on Monday.
Mosul lies 170km (105 miles) to the northwest of Kirkuk, a multi-ethnic city claimed both by Iraq’s central government and the Kurds.
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