The attackers killed 11 soldiers, including an officer, before fleeing the scene, said al-Saadi, who confirmed that the soldiers were surprised by the attack, as the attackers took advantage of the significant drop in temperatures and attacked the military outpost.

The Iraqi security forces in the Diyala province are on high alert after the attack, while high-ranking security officials from the provincial Operations Command arrived at the scene to investigate the incident, he added.

Over the past months, IS militants have intensified their attacks against Iraqi security forces in the provinces which the militants had previously controlled, leaving dozens dead and wounded.

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