Security kill two suicide bombers in Samarra, month’s total at 10

Samarra (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi security forces killed two suicide bombers on Monday who were heading for an attack on a police unit in the city of Samarra, Salahuddin.

Emad al-Zoheiri, commander of the Samarra Operations force, said in a statement that the bombers were planning to attack a police unit in Gallam, but were trapped inside a barn before they were killed.

He said the incident raises the total of suicide bombers killed by the forces in the province over a month to ten.

Since Iraqi forces launched offensives in October to clear Iraqi regions from militants, Shirqat has seen occasional attacks by Islamic State, leaving casualties among civilians and security forces. Government troops, backed by paramilitary forces, responded with intermittent security operations at the province’s borders with neighboring governorates.

Iraq commanders said in April that Islamic State militants were controlling less than seven percent of Iraqi territories. The government plans to aim at IS locations in Anbar, Salahuddin, and Diyala once it is done with its campaign in Mosul which officials say was nearing full liberation from IS.

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 United Nations count.