Twin attack kills 3 Hashd Shaabi fighters in Iraq

BAGHDAD

Three members of the pro-government Hashd al-Shaabi militia (Popular Mobilization Forces) were killed in a twin attack on Wednesday in eastern Iraq, according to a local military officer.

Daesh/ISIS terrorists attacked with machineguns a security checkpoint of the Hashd al-Shaabi in Kashkul area in Diyala province, the officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.

A bomb blast struck when Hashd fighters and civilians gathered at the scene of the attack, the source said.

Eight people were injured, including five civilians, he added.

Daesh/ISIS has been active in the provinces of Salahuddin, Anbar, Kirkuk, and Diyala, at a time when the federal government is struggling to contain the attacks of the terrorist group by launching security and military operations in the northern, western and eastern regions of the country.

In 2017, Iraq declared victory over Daesh/ISIS by reclaiming all territories the terrorist group controlled since the summer of 2014 which was estimated to be about a third of the country’s territory.

The group, however, still maintains sleeper cells in large areas in Iraq and occasionally launches sporadic attacks.

* Writing by Bassel Barakat