Police kill suicide bomber, chase another in Baqubah: spokesman



Police forces killed a suicide bomber and chased another one in Baqibah, Diyala, on Tuesday, according to an Interior Ministry spokesman.

Brig. Gen. Saad Maan said in a statement that the suicide bomber, who was wearing an explosive belt, was gunned down in Moallemin district after a stakeout based on prior intelligence information.

Troops chased the driver who brought the attacker to the area, Maan said. He said the encounter caused injuries to four people who happened to be at the scene.

Violence and armed conflicts left 824 Iraqis dead and wounded during the month of May, according to a monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq which excludes security members deaths.




Islamic State, almost losing its main holdout in Mosul to a security operation running since October, has been escalating attacks at other provinces where it still has a presence.

Government and tribal forces have launched occasional operations over the past few months to clear border regions between Diyala and Salahuddin, killing dozens of militants. IS fighters have also responded with occasional attacks targeting troops, leaving several deaths.

Officials from towns still held by IS since 2014 have pressed the Iraqi government to hasten with security operations to retake those regions, but the Iraqi government is giving most attention to its battle in Mosul, Islamic State’s largest stronghold in Iraq.

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