Police officer, three soldiers were killed in suicide attack, west of Mosul
The aftermath of a bomb explosion.
“Five IS militants, wearing suicide belts, sneaked into al-Tanak district, south of Mosul, and hide in three houses,” Cap. Ammar Ali al-Seraji, of the Interior Ministry’s Rapid Response forces’ intelligence department, told Anadolu agency on Thursday.
“As security troops besieged the houses, where the militants were hiding, clashes began. One of the attackers was able to blow himself up, causing death of a lieutenant general officer and three other soldiers.” Seraji added. Troops were then able to kill the four other attackers.
Situation at Tanak, according to Seraji, is under control. The district has been retaken from IS more than two months ago.
On Monday, Iraq PM Haider al-Abadi declared victory over IS in Mosul, which marked the end of the group’s self-styled “caliphate” established in 2014.
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.
More than 700 Iraqis were killed and wounded during the month of June as result of violence and armed conflicts, according to a monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) which excludes security members deaths.