Suspected IS militants detonate mosque in Salahuddin province
Salahuddin (Iraqinews.com) – Suspected Islamic State (IS) militants have detonated a mosque on a road between Salahuddin and Kirkuk provinces, a move that is seen by commentators as a new escalation against worship places in Iraq, a security source was quoted as saying.
Speaking to Alsumaria News on Tuesday, the source said, “Armed men believed to be members of the Islamic State group have sneaked into al-Mustafa mosque in al Alam district in Tikrit and detonated it.”
“The explosion caused material damage to the mosque but no human casualties were reported,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, pointed out.
The source noted that a security force rushed to the blast site and opened a probe into the attack.
Iraqi army kills four Islamic State militants while infiltrating into Salahuddin
Salahuddin (Iraqinews.com) – Iraqi army, backed by pro-government troops, killed on Tuesday four Islamic State (IS) militants while trying to infiltrate into al-Shirqat district in northern Salahuddin province via western borders, a security source was quoted as saying.
Speaking to Knooz Media, the source said, “A group of IS militants tried to infiltrate into the Sunni-dominated al-Shirqat district coming from western borders, but troops of the Iraqi army and al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) managed to foil their plot and killed four of them.”
The source affirmed that the security situation “in the district is now under control.”
Commander of Abadi’s guards killed in clashes with militias
Salahuddin (IraqiNews.com) The Shiite militia of Saraya al-Salam (Peace Brigades) have accused the protection guards of Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi of attacking the personnel deployed between Samarra and Tikrit in Salahuddin, which sparked confrontations that caused the death of the guards commander, Brig. Gen. Sherif Ismail Ebeid.
Speaking to Baghdad Today website, Mohannad al-Azzawi, media official of the militias in Samarra, said, “a parade from the cabinet, including big number of troops, was coming from Baghdad to Samarra. As it arrived at the central checkpoint in Samarra, the troops refused the measures taken by the security troops, composed of federal police and three personnel of the brigades.”
The troops of the parade, according to Azzawi, “opened fire against police and beat the brigades personnel and confiscated their weapons.”
A security source previously said commander of the 57th brigade of Abadi’s protection guards was killed, while two others were injured in armed confrontations with Saraya al-Salam near Samarra.