Two Iraqi soldiers killed in armed attack on army checkpoint in Diyala
Security forces defend their headquarters against attacks by Islamic State during sand storm in Ramadi. (AP Photo)
Diyala (IraqiNews.com) – Two Iraqi soldiers were killed Tuesday in an armed attack by unidentified gunmen in Diyala province, a security source said.
“Unknown gunmen opened fire at an army checkpoint in the town of Khanaqin, some 165 km northeast of the capital Baghdad, leaving two soldiers dead,” the source told Russia’s Sputnik news agency.
The assailants fled the scene and security forces launched a manhunt for the suspects.
Attacks on security forces and citizens by Islamic State militants have become common in Iraq following the crushing defeat of the terrorist group in 2017.
Hundreds of police and army forces have since been killed in shootings and bombings.
In December 2017, former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared final victory over the terrorist Islamic State group three years after the militant group captured about a third of Iraq’s territory.
The victory over Islamic State was achieved with the help of a US-led alliance, having retaken all the territory captured by the extremists in 2014 and 2015.
Despite the group’s crushing defeat at its main havens across Iraq, Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks against troops with security reports warning that the militant group still poses a threat against stability in the country.