"Six civilians were killed and nine others were wounded in an attack with rocket-propelled grenades and medium-grade weapons," they said in a statement.

It said the attack targeted a football stadium in Daquq in the ethnically diverse province of Kirkuk.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but security forces pointed the finger at the "terrorist gangs" of the Islamic State group.

Iraq announced victory against IS in late 2017 after three years of ferocious fighting backed by paramilitary forces and the US-led air coalition.

But IS sleeper cells still carry out hit-and-run attacks, particularly in vast desert regions of northern and western Iraq near the porous border with Syria.

Those regions have long seen ethnic and religious tensions, with communities there remaining at odds over territory and oil.

On Sunday, the head of the Turkmen Front cast doubt on IS's involvement.

"The targeting of Daquq is political par excellence, to create instability and impose political wills," said Iraqi MP Arshad al-Salehi.