Islamic State claims attack on army post in northern Iraq

Men carry coffin of an Iraqi soldier at the Wadi al-Salam cemetery, Arabic for "Peace Valley", in Najaf

Men carry coffin of an Iraqi soldier at the Wadi al-Salam cemetery, Arabic for "Peace Valley", who was killed in an attack by Islamic State militants on an army post in a rural area between Diyala and Salahuddin provinces, during the funeral in Najaf, Iraq, May 14, 2024. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani

Source: REUTERS

Islamic State claimed responsibility on Tuesday for an attack on Monday targeting an army post in northern Iraq which security sources said had killed a commanding officer and four soldiers.

The attack took place between Diyala and Salahuddin provinces, a rural area that remains a hotbed of activity for militant cells years after Iraq declared final victory over the extremist group in 2017.

Security forces repelled the attack, the defence ministry said on Monday in a statement mourning the loss of a colonel and a number of others from the regiment. The security sources said five others had also been wounded.

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Islamic State said in a statement on Telegram it had targeted the barracks with machine guns and grenades.

Iraq has seen relative security stability in recent years after the chaos of the 2003-U.S.-led invasion and years of bloody sectarian conflict that followed.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters