Fourteen army personnel killed, injured in attack against Diyala military base
U.S. soldiers stand near military vehicles at an army base in Karamless town, east of Mosul, Iraq, December 25, 2016. Picture taken December 25, 2016. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
“Two personnel were killed, while twelve others were wounded as four attackers wearing suicide belts attempted infiltration into Qaraqosh base [45 KM east of Baquba],” the source told Alghad Press on Monday.
Two of the bombers were killed as they blew themselves up, according to the source.
“One of the injured is a senior officer in serious condition. He was transferred to outside Diyala for treatment,” the source added. “Two other attackers are still besieged inside the base.”
Qaraqosh is the biggest military base in Diyala.
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.
Violence and armed conflicts claimed the lives of 317 Iraqis, and caused injuries to 403 others during the month of April, according to a monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).
The total figure of victims signalled a drop from 1115 victims in March.
Nineveh, where U.S.-backed Iraqi government troops are caught up in battles against Islamic State militants in Mosul since October, came on top of the most affected governorate, with 276 casualties (153 killed, 123 injured). Baghdad Governorate came next with 55 killed and 179 injured. Salahuddin came third, with 15 killed and 43 injured.