Two suicide bombers attacked a military base in Diyala province, east of Baghdad, on Monday. The attack led to the killing of dozens of elements working with the Iraqi security forces. Meanwhile, security leadership of Kirkuk province revealed that a security meeting has been conducted upon orders from Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi to discuss the operations scheduled to be launched to restore Howeija district.
In the same context, sources revealed that Basra bomber was Iraqi citizen not Turkish one. He is called Mubarak Raheel Ali. According to the source, the citizen was not Turkish, while he left the country to Turkey in 2015 then he returned to Mousl. He was living in Basra before his departure to Turkey.
At least eight people were killed in a suicide bombing near the oil-rich city of Basra on Friday, which left at least eight people dead. A bomber detonated his explosives-laden car on Friday at a checkpoint north of Basra, Lt. Gen. Jamil al-Shimmari of the Basra Operations Command said on Saturday. Five civilians and three officers were killed in the attack, Shimmari said.
In Kirkuk, Islamic State militants executed on Monday nine men from Hawija district and areas in its vicinity over collaboration with security services, security source was quoted as saying.
“IS members shot five men dead and executed four others, who were arrested two days ago over spying for security services and the paramilitary troops,” the source told the German news agency DPA. The executions took place near the Great Zab river in Hawija, a strategic town which has fallen into the hands of IS since mid-2014.
Islamic State has executed hundreds of civilians and security members since it took over large areas in Iraq to proclaim a self-styled “Islamic Caliphate”. The executions of the victims were mainly blamed over accusations of collaboration with the Iraqi security authorities or for attempting to flee areas under its control.
Kirkuk has a mixed population of Kurds, Turkmens and Arabs. The southern and western regions in the province have been under IS control since June 2014. Iraqi authorities postponed an operation to liberate the town last year, instead they moved onto Mosul, the group’s biggest bastion in Iraq. It is expected to aim at liberating IS-held regions in the province once done with operations in Mosul.
On the other hand, fourteen army personnel were killed and injured in a suicide attack inside the biggest military base, east of Baquba, a security source from Diyala said. “Two personnel were killed, while twelve others were wounded as four attackers wearing suicide belts attempted infiltration into Qaraqosh base [45 KM east of Baquba],” the source told Alghad Press on Monday.
Two of the bombers were killed as they blew themselves up, according to the source. “One of the injured is a senior officer in serious condition. He was transferred to outside Diyala for treatment,” the source added. “Two other attackers are still besieged inside the base.”
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. Violence and armed conflicts claimed the lives of 317 Iraqis, and caused injuries to 403 others during the month of April, according to a monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).
The total figure of victims signalled a drop from 1115 victims in March. Nineveh, where U.S.-backed Iraqi government troops are caught up in battles against Islamic State militants in Mosul since October, came on top of the most affected governorate, with 276 casualties (153 killed, 123 injured). Baghdad Governorate came next with 55 killed and 179 injured. Salahuddin came third, with 15 killed and 43 injured.