Iraqi troops arrest 26 terrorists involved in Kirkuk bombings
Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) – Twenty-six terrorists were arrested Monday over their involvement in recent bombings and terrorist attacks in the oil-rich Iraqi province of Kirkuk, a police commander said.
Speaking to SNG network, Major General Maan al-Saadi, the commander of the Iraqi Special Forces 2nd Division, said that security forces apprehended a terrorist cell made up of 26 terrorists, including women, in Kirkuk city.
“The troops seized explosive belts, two booby-trapped vehicles and a huge amount of C-4 explosive material bombs in the possession of the terrorists,” he added.
Al-Saadi blamed the cell members for all terrorist attacks and explosions that rocked Kirkuk city recently.
Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over five million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.