Policemen injured in sniper attack by Islamic State in Baqubah

Diyala (Iraqinews.com) – A policeman was injured Wednesday in a sniper attack by the militant Islamic State group in Baqubah, the capital of Diyala province, a local source was quoted as saying.

“Islamic State snipers opened fire early on Wednesday against a security checkpoint on the outskirts of al-Abbara district in northeastern Baqubah, leaving a policeman injured,” the source told Alghad Press.

“The injured cop was carried to a nearby hospital for treatment,” the source said, adding that a manhunt was launched in search of the attackers.

On Tuesday, three people, including a military conscript, were killed after unidentified gunmen opened fire against them in al-Shaab region, north of Baghdad.

Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over 3 million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence earlier in November with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq.