Troops kill suicide attacker before blowing himself up, south of Mosul

Mosul (IraqiNews.com) The pro-government paramilitary troops have killed a suicide attacker as he was trying to blow up himself in southwest of Mosul, a security source was quoted saying on Saturday.

Speaking to Baghdad Today website, the source said, “ troops of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) killed a suicide attacker, wearing a suicide belt, in a village in Hatra region, southwest of Mosul, before he blew up himself.”

Moreover, the military intelligence department announced today confiscating suicide belts and explosives in west of Mosul.

On Monday, security troops reportedly killed five suicide attackers in a village in Hammam al-Alil, south of Nineveh.

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.

A total of 115 Iraqi civilians, excluding policemen, were killed and another 250 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in January 2018, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi declared in July victory over IS militants who had held the second largest Iraqi city since 2014.

Thousands of IS militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition, was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group.