Thursday, March 28, 2024

Baghdad

2 civilians dead, 7 wounded in Kirkuk as IS-planted bomb blows

 2 civilians dead, 7 wounded in Kirkuk as IS-planted bomb blows

Iraqi refugees in Mosul

Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) Two civilians died and seven others were wounded on Tuesday when an explosive device planted by Islamic State militants exploded in families escaping areas held by the group in Kirkuk.

The device exploded at families escaping Hawija, an IS stronghold in Kirkuk that has been in the group’s grip since it emerged in 2014 to proclaim the establishment of a self-styled “Islamic Caliphate”.

Three-months old battles between Islamic State militants and Iraqi security forces seeking to retake areas occupied by the group have forced at least 178.000 civilians to flee homes in Mosul and Kirkuk. Aid groups and human rights organizations have decried the death of many of the refugees who were deliberately targeted 9by the extremist group. The United Nations had predicted one million people to be displaced as result of operations in Mosul, where government forces had only recapture a half of the city and hope to liberate the remaining densely-populated parts.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hussein al-Deleimi, a security adviser to the governor of Anbar, told Anadolu Agency that 33 families arrived in the province from Mosul after fleeing Islamic State-held regions. He said security forces screened the arrivals thoroughly to ensure that no militant elements were included.

Leave a Reply