Tribal fighters killed, wounded in grenade attack in western Baghdad

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Seven tribal fighters were killed and injured on Thursday in an armed attack that targeted their checkpoint west of Baghdad, a police source was quoted saying.

The source told Alsumaria News that three members of Tribal Mobilization groups were killed, while four others were wounded when armed attackers hurled a hand grenade on their checkpoint in Abu Gharib, west of the capital.

Violence and armed conflicts left more than 500 Iraqis dead and wounded during the month of July, according to a monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq which excludes security members deaths.

“A total of 241 Iraqi civilians were killed and another 277 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in July,” the UNAMI report said, noting that the security personnel casualties were excluded from the figures.

Baghdad was the second most affected province with 38 killed and 85 injured.

Baghdad has seen almost daily bombings and armed attacks against security members, paramilitary groups and civilians since the Iraqi government launched a wide-scale campaign to retake IS-occupied areas in 2016. While most of of the explosions and attacks went without a claim of responsibility, Islamic State has claimed several incidents.

Some security observers believe that even after IS’s main havens across Iraqi provinces are conquered, the group may still constitute a security threat through sleeper cells and lone wolf attacks.