30 killed and wounded in eastern Mosul suicide attack

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) At least thirty people were killed and wounded Thursday when suicide attackers drove two booby-trapped cars into Kokajli, east of Mosul, a security source in Nineveh province told Alsumaria News.

While Alsumaria News reported two deaths, Sputnik News counted as much as 10 deaths and 15 injuries.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, and its news agency Amaq said the attack left 20 dead.

Alghad Press qouted sources as saying that five Iraqi SWAT forces members were wounded.

On Wednesday, eight civilians died as another booby-trapped car moved and exploded into the district of al-Zohour.

Iraqi government forces, backed by popular militias and US-led air forces, launched a wide-scale military campaign mid October to retake Mosul: IS’s last major stronghold in Iraq. Government forces are fighting on the eastern shore of the Tigris River, recapturing almost 50 percent of that region since then, according to security officials. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Wednesday forces recaptured 5600 sq km out of a total space of 7600 sq km of the province of Nineveh.

But IS has proved a challenge to forces, attacking areas they had lost to Iraqi forces, killing civilians occasionally. The group’s reliance on suicide bombings and explosive traps has also proven effective in slowing down advancements by Iraqi forces, even obliging them to withdraw some districts weeks ago.

Battles in Mosul have forced at least 1250.000 people to leave Mosul to refugee camps since they started.