Rampaging wild boars 'kill three members of Isis' near Iraqi city of Kirkuk

Three members Isis have reportedly been killed and five more injured by rampaging wild boar near Kirkuk in Iraq.

The exact circumstances are unclear, but sources claim another Isis militant later "took revenge" against the feral pigs involved in the incident.

According to IraqiNews.com, the incident took place near farmland in the mountainous al-Rashad region on Sunday (23 April) 53 km (32 miles) south of Kirkuk. The Times spoke to a local sheikh who confirmed the incident took place.

"It is likely their movement disturbed a herd of wild pigs, which inhabit the area as well as the nearby cornfields," said Sheikh Anwar al-Assi of the Ubaid tribe. "The area is dense with reeds, which are good for hiding in."

Alsumaria News reported that the militants "took revenge at the pigs that attacked the farmland".

Hawija, the area where the attack took place, is one of three pockets of territory in Iraq where Isis remains in control and have carried out atrocities against the local population.

Sheikh al-Assi said Isis had killed 25 local people in recent days for trying to flee the area to rejoin their families in refugee camps.

Locals are pleading with the government to help push out the militants. Isis is gradually being forced out of Iraq, with the group's "capital" Mosul slowly being retaken by government forces, Shia militias and Kurds.

Wild boar can weigh up to 25 stone (150 kg) run at 30 mph, and can be extremely aggressive. Authorities in the Forest of Dean, which is home to around 1,000 wild boar, have warned members of the public to stick to footpaths when walking through the area.