Six policemen killed, wounded in Islamic State attack, northwest of Diyala

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) Six policemen were killed and wounded in an attack, northwest of Diyala, carried out by Islamic State members, who claimed responsibility of it later, BasNews reported on Thursday.

Gunmen attacked a checking point in Wadi al-Awsag region, in the vicinity of Jalawla town, northeast of Baquba on Wednesday, local sources said.

Security sources, according to the sources, managed to repel the attack following clashes that lasted for two hours. Four policemen were killed, while two others were wounded.
The militant group then claimed responsibility for the attack. Few days ago, the group threatened to target the balloting stations during the parliamentary elections, slated for the 12th of May.
Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.

A total of 68 Iraqis were killed and another 122 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in April, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

As many as 3,298 civilians were killed and 4,781 others were wounded in 2017, excluding Anbar civilian casualty figures for November and December, which are not available, UNAMI said in a report in December.