Mortar missiles wound two civilians in northern Kirkuk
Mortar shelling. File photo.
“Mortar missiles fell on Dour al-Kahrabaa region in Dibs town, north of Kirkuk, which left two civilians wounded,” the source told Mawazin News.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said, “security troops, backed by al-Hashd al-Shaabi [Popular Mobilization Forces] cordoned off the accident spot. Ambulances transferred the wounded to hospital for treatment.
Iraqi troops, backed by PMFs, took over Kirkuk province from Kurdish Peshmerga fighters on Tuesday, fulfilling instructions made earlier by Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi to retake areas where sovereignty is disputed with Kurdistan Region’s Government.
Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State Sunni extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
A monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), which excludes security members deaths, said 196 civilians were killed, while 381 others were wounded due to violence and armed conflicts during the month of September. The fatalities included 10 foreign nationals. Baghdad was the most affected province with 37 deaths and 157 injuries. Dhi Qar province came in the second place with 82 killed and 93 injured. Anbar came in the third place with 20 killed and 46 injured.