Islamic State extremists kidnapped 20 people from Kirkuk Thursday, AFP reports. The villagers were suspected of forming a local group to fight IS militants.
This kidnapping follows the abduction of roughly 50 people from another Kirkuk town last week.
Islamic State militants have kidnapped thousands of civilians across Iraq, according to AFP.
The U.S. is carrying out air strikes against the group and outlined a strategy to defeat them on Wednesday. The U.S. military is providing training and other assistance to Iraqi forces and Kurdish troops.
