Iraqi child killed, two wounded as landmine explodes in western Iraq

Anbar (IraqiNews.com) – An Iraqi child was killed and two of his family members were wounded Monday in a landmine explosion in the western province of Anbar, a security source was quoted as saying.

“A landmine left by Islamic State militants went off when a family was gathering desert truffles in Haditha district, west of Anbar,” the source told the Arabic-language Almaalomah news website.

“The explosion left a child dead and two of his family members wounded,” the source added.

According to the source, the security forces rushed to the blast site and cordoned it off to make sure that there are no more landmines.

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.