Police kill suicide bomber northeast of Baquba
Representational photo.
“Diyala police were able to kill a suicide attacker who was wearing a suicide belt as he attempted approaching a gathering of people in Qurret Tabah village, 112 KM northeast of Baquba,” Maj. Gen. Mazhar al-Azzawi, commander of Dijla Operations, told AlSumaria News on Sunday.
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.
Several offensives were launched over the past few months in eastern and northeastern regions in Diyala, as attacks launched by Islamic State militants against security troops, the pro-government forces and civilians had surged in northeast of the province. Iraqi forces are urged to prevent the militants infiltration between Salahuddin and Kirkuk provinces, especially the regions stretching along Hamreen mountains and Al-Azeem town.
IS still holds a few areas in Salahuddin, Diyala, Anbar and Kirkuk, occasionally using them as launching points for its attacks against civilians and security. The Iraqi government is currently employing most of its military power in a major campaign to drive IS out of Mosul, its largest stronghold in Iraq.