Police officer assassinated by unknown gunmen in Iraq’s Tuz Khurmatu

Salahuddin (Iraqinews.com) – A police officer was assassinated Sunday in Tuz Khurmatu district in Salahuddin as unknown gunmen continue to target security men and citizens in retaliation for the country’s victory over terrorism last year, a security source was quoted as saying.

“Unknown gunmen targeted in the wee hours of Sunday First-Lieutenant Asaad al-Shammari from the Rapid Response Force’s 2nd brigade, leaving him dead,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Alghad Press.

“The assailants fled the scene immediately after the shooting,” the source said, adding that a probe was opened into the incident and a manhunt was launched to arrest perpetrators of the attack.

Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence earlier in November with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq.

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

Thousands of IS militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since a government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and a U.S.-led international coalition, was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.