Al Qaeda had a twitter account live tweeting the attack. We will not be linking to the account to give them any publicity. Despite requests to shut down the account, Twitter has not deleted the account as of this writing. The attack in the area is still ongoing and they are still tweeting. They are apparently holed up in the shopping mall.
Update: 3:43 EST
Al Qaeda twitter is crying about being reported to Twitter for terrorism..
Awww, poor al Qaeda, cry more.
Here is video of the part of the attack. Warning in advance for graphic nature of violence.The camera crew is on the run with the police officers defending the police station.
The attack began with a suicide bombing at the Intelligence HQs of the police in Kirkuk and an assault on the station.
#Iraq: scene from the bombing in front of the intelligence HQ in #Kirkuk by Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham: pic.twitter.com/rlIcLJNR4v
— Aymenn J Al-Tamimi (@ajaltamimi) December 4, 2013
More of attack at police station:
It then spilt over into a mall where hostages were taken. They invaded the five story mall complex and climbed to the roof, from which they continued to fire at security forces.
11 hostages have reportedly since been rescued.
Kurdish anti-terror forces deployed in Kirkuk a few hours ago to eliminate Al Qaeda terrorists who had overrun a mall pic.twitter.com/wIqVqZChlz
— Azad Kurdistan (@mrgoldfink) December 4, 2013
PT: Initial reports suggest 6+ dead & approx. 70 wounded. 11 hostages rescued from mall. #Iraq #Kirkuk
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) December 4, 2013
Here is part of the tweet about being inside the shopping mall:
Via Daily Star:
BAGHDAD: Iraqi authorities say insurgents have attacked a security headquarters in a northern city, killing four people.
Police officials say the assault on Wednesday took place when a car bomb exploded at the gate of the Police Intelligence Department in the religiously-mixed city of Kirkuk. Later, suicide bomber entered the building and set off his explosive belt among police members.
A gunbattle between attackers and security forces erupted immediately after the bombings, said police. They said another 46 people were wounded.
Hospital officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media, confirmed the casualty figure.
Wednesday’s attack came only one day after a similar assault on a mayor’s office in the Sunni town of Tarmiyah that left 10 people dead.
HT: JM Berger