An Iraqi air strike on Kurdish forces killed six Kurdish officers Sunday, AFP reports. Roughly 20 others were wounded.

The Kurdish forces were fired on as they moved into an area of eastern Iraq during a military offensive. It is unclear whether the attack was purposely targeting the Kurdish forces, according to AFP.

ISIL militants are currently battling Kurdish forces for control of Khanaqin, located roughly 95 miles from the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

Members of the ISIL recently began an offensive against many Iraqi cities, overtaking Mosul and Tikrit. Kurdish forces have mobilized their troops to combat ISIL jihadists and successfully overtook the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

The Kurdish population seeks to establish their own autonomous state, a dream that has been dashed many times over. However, the recent chaos in Iraq may provide the Kurds with an opportunity to expand their territory and potentially edge their way closer to an independent state.