Ministry: 2 Islamic State suicide attackers killed north of Tikrit
ISIS elements in Salahuddin. Archival photo.
Tikrit (IraqiNews.com) Security forces killed two Islamic State suicide attackers north of Tikrit, Salahuddin, the Interior Ministry said Thursday.
Police forces in Baiji killed the pair at Silo al-Haggag area after they were trapped inside an abandoned house, ministry spokesperson Saad Maan said in a statement.
Islamic State militants have stepped up attacks on security forces, allied paramilitary troops and civilians over the past months across Iraqi provinces, including Salahuddin, coinciding with Iraqi government troops’ operations which managed to oust the group from Mosul, their largest bastion in Iraq.
The eastern side of the town of Shirqat remains Islamic State’s most remarkable holdout in Salahuddin, and it had been the launching point of several attacks.
The Iraqi government plans to invade Islamic State holdouts across Iraq in the near future having concluded its eight-month campaign in Mosul.
Violence and armed conflicts left more han 700 civilian casualties in Iraq during June, according to a monthly casualty count by the United Nations’ Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).