Iraqi soldier wounded in sniper attack by Islamic State in Diyala

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) – An Iraqi soldier was wounded Wednesday in a sniper attack by the Islamic State militant group in the eastern province of Diyala, a security source said.

Speaking to the Arabic-language Alghad Press website, the source said that “an Islamic State sniper opened fire at a solider, south of Canaan district, leaving him wounded.”

The soldier, according to the source, was moved to a nearby hospital suffering from severe wounds.

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.