IS kills four police personnel, including officer, in ambush east of Diyala

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) Four police personnel were killed in an ambush set by Islamic State militants in east of Diyala province, an Iraqi security source was quoted saying.

“IS militants set up an ambush to trap the Interior Ministry’s oil protection police patrol near al-Nada town, east of Diyala. They opened fire against the patrol,” Cap. Habib al-Shemari told Anadolu Agency on Sunday.

“Four police personnel including an officer were killed in the armed attack,” Shemari said, adding that “the militants escaped to unknown destination.”

Attacks launched by IS militants against security troops, the pro-government forces and civilians surged over the past few weeks in northeast of Diyala, which urge the Iraqi forces to prevent the militants infiltration between Salahuddin and Kirkuk provinces, especially the regions stretching along Hamreen mountains and Al-Azeem town. Several regions were freed in wide-scale military operations launched by army troops, backed by the U.S.-led coalition.

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.

A monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) said 518 Iraqis were killed and injured during the month of July. Nineveh province was the most affected governorate with 233 casualties, Baghdad came next then Anbar.