Five children killed, wounded in Fallujah bomb blast
Representational photo.
Fallujah (IraqiNews.com) Five children were killed and wounded when a leftover landmine exploded east of Fallujah, a paramilitary commander said on Friday.
Gomaa al-Jumaili, a senior commander at the Popular Mobilization Forces in al-Karma region told Baghdad Today that an explosive device from Islamic State remnant landmines exploded, killing three children and wounding two others.
Iraqi government forces had recaptured Karma from IS militants in May 2016
Several incidents of remnant explosives killing civilians at areas retaken from IS have been reported over the past months. Millions of landmines from Iraq’s past wars, including the three-year-war against the Islamic State militants, still await removal.
Islamic State militants are still holding areas in western Anbar near the borders with Syria, and Iraqi government and paramilitary forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition warplanes, have regularly bombarded or cleared surrounding areas, leaving hundreds of militants dead. Anbar is one of the next targets marked by Iraqi government forces which are currently battling IS out of Tal Afar, Islamic State’s last haven in Nineveh province.
Iraqi warplanes reportedly dropped thousands of messages on IS havens west of Anbar in July telling citizens that military invasions of those areas were imminent, and advising them to stay away from militants’ gatherings.