Senior policeman, three Islamic State members killed in operations in Salahuddin

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) A senior policeman and three Islamic State members were killed during security operations, east of Salahuddin province, according to the Iraqi military and sources.

A statement by the Security Media Center said head of al-Alam police station in Salahuddin, Brig, Gen, Mohamed Hammash Khalaf, was killed. “During an operation in Mutaibija region in Salahuddin, a bomb went off targeting a vehicle of Alam police station near Jisr al-Zarka region.”

The blast, according to the statement, left Khalaf and his driver Idris Mohamed Mahmoud killed, while another policeman was injured.

Moreover, a security source told Almaalomah website that “al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) in Diyala killed three Islamic State members in Mutaibija.”

Earlier today, the Iraqi joint forces, backed by the army jets, carried out a wide-scale military operation to purge regions located between Diyala and Salahuddin provinces.

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

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced, in December, full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members.