13, including police, killed and wounded in Salahuddin mortar shelling

Salahuddin (IraqiNews.com) Two policemen were killed and 11 civilians were wounded late Sunday in a mortar attack in Sharqat, Salahuddin, a security source said Monday to AlMada Press.

The bombing occurred near the precinct’s police station, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, blaming Islamic State militants, who control the eastern section of the province, for the attack.

The Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in June that the whole region of Sharqat was liberated from ISIS. But it has become a group tactic to target areas it was forced to give up since Iraqi government forces and volunteer militias launched a campaign to free Iraqi cities from the group’s hold.

Violence surged in Iraq since ISIS occupied wide regions of the country in 2014. But the group is currently losing ground and is fighting a decisive battle to defend its last bastion in Iraq at the city of Mosul.

Some observers and security officials say the group tends to attack areas other than Mosul in an attempt to divert security forces attention from the city and make up for defeats there.