Reuters reported that suspected IS militants attacked Iraqi federal policemen stationed at a guard post at Tal al-Steih village in the town of Rashad, around 18 miles (30 km) southwest of Kirkuk, and the clash had lasted for nearly two hours.

According to a report by Reuters, IS attackers used roadside bombs to prevent police reinforcements from reaching the scene, destroying at least three police vehicles.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but Islamic State armed group fighters are acting at the region and the IS fighters were involved in the assault, Reuters said in a report quoting a security source.

Local reporters said that at least two police officers had gone missing since the deadly terror attack on security forces.

Meanwhile, at least three Iraqi soldiers were killed and another was seriously wounded in a separate attack where gunmen stormed an army checkpoint southeast of the Iraqi city of Mosul in the early hours of Sunday, Al Jazeera reported.

In the last four years, Islamic State group had launched about 4887 attacks on security forces and civilians in Iraq's disputed Kirkuk province, according to a report by Kurdish broadcaster Kurdistan 24.