Iraqi security foil suicide bomb attack against Shia rituals sites
Iraqi Shi’ite Muslims commemorate Ashoura in Kerbala, southwest of Baghdad November 4, 2014. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi security forces thwarted on Tuesday a suicide bomb attack that was planned to hit several Shia rituals facilities in the Shia-dominated district of al-Dujail in Salahuddin, a security source was quoted as saying.
“Dujail police, backed by forces of the Counter-Terrorism Service, arrested three suicide bombers, who were planning to attack several sites used by Shias for performing their rituals,” the source told Ayn Al Iraq news website.
According to the source, “the police forces also seized five explosive belts that were ready to be used in the bomb attack.”
On Monday, an Iraqi policeman was killed and three others were wounded after a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt blew himself up outside Hadithah General Hospital in Anbar governorate.
Iraq declared victory over Islamic State militants in December, ending a three-year war to retake areas occupied by the militants in 2014.
Though the government said the group’s territorial influence came to an end, the militants have launched occasional attacks against security forces and civilians, growing fears that it might still pose a security threat.
News reports have said the group had set up several ambushes in which security forces were attacked.