Soldier killed, 2 wounded in roadside bomb blast in western Baghdad

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) An Iraqi army soldier died and two others were wounded on Sunday when a bomb hit their patrol west of Baghdad, security sources were quoted saying.

The explosive device exploded at a farmland in Akakouf, west of the capital, while aan army patrol was passing by, killing the soldier and wounding two of his comrades.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but Islamic State militants have said
they had been responsible for several bloody explosions and attacks that hit the capital in the past months, leaving casualties among civilians and security troops.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) says violence in the country left nearly 392 dead and 613 injured, excluding security members, during February. Baghdad was the second most affected province with 120 deaths and 300 injuries, according to the organization’s monthly casualty count. It excludes death toll among security members after Iraqi authorities had asked to get such information exclusively from security commands.

Some observers believe Islamic State have begun to escalate attacks outside the city of Mosul, where the group has been losing ground and personnel since October, so as to relieve pressure by government forces on that front and to divert attention from group losses. They are concerned that the group could, however, shift to a guerrilla-style war and lone wolf attacks after the recapture of Mosul.