Two civilians wounded in leftover bomb explosion west of Ramadi
A bomb explosion. File photo.
Ramadi (IraqiNews.com) Two Iraqi civilians were wounded on Tuesday when an explosive device went off west of Ramadi, Anbar province, security sources were quoted saying.
A source at anbar police told Ikh News website that a landmine, presumably a leftover from Islamic State deployment in the province, exploded in al-doulab region, wounding two civilians.
It said security forces cordoned the area off and went on a search for other possible explosives.
Since Islamic State militants took over large areas of Iraq and Syria to establish a self-styled “caliphate” in 2014, Iraqi government forces, backed paramilitary troops and U.S.-led coalition, launched a wide-scale campaign to retake those regions.
So far, the offensives managed to retake Mosul, the group’s former capital, the town of Tal Afar, Kirkuk’s Hawija and Anbar’s Annah. Only Qaim and neighboring Rawa currently remain in IS grip.
Local authorities and human rights agencies believe Islamic State members are holding tens of thousands of civilians in western Anbar as future human shields, having killed hundreds for attempting to escape.
A monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), which excludes security members deaths, said 196 civilians were killed, while 381 others were wounded due to violence and armed conflicts during the month of September.