Bomb blast kills three civilias, wounds two others, southwest of Kirkuk

Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) Three civilians were killed, two others were injured due to a blast caused by a bomb planted by the Islamic State in Hawija, southwest of Kirkuk, DPA reported.

According to sources from police, the three victims and the two wounded were of the same family. The blast occurred while the victims were trying to flee al-Therban village, in al-Riyad district, in Hawija town. The victims were trying to flee toward Hamreen mountains early on Monday.

Hawija, located 55 KM west of Kirkuk, has been held by IS since mid-2014, when the group emerged to proclaim an Islamic “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria. The group executed dozens of civilians and security members there, forcing thousands to flee homes.

Dozens of residents from Hawija and the regions in its vicinity escape to Kirkuk province on a daily basis. Despite the risky routes to the freed regions, the civilians prefer death to staying under IS control.

According to a monthly casualty count released by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), a total of 411 civilian deaths was counted during June, besides 294 injuries.

Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State Sunni extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.