16 people killed, 14 wounded in bomb attack at funeral in Iraq’s Salahuddin Province

ERBIL, (Kurdistan 24) – At least 16 people were killed on Thursday and over a dozen others wounded when a bomb attack struck a village in Iraq’s Salahuddin Province.

Ali Dahduh, the mayor of Sharqat town, told AFP the explosion had killed at least 16 people and wounded 14 others during a funeral for Iraqi fighters who had been slain by Islamic State (IS) extremists.

“A bomb targeted a funeral procession in Asdira village near the town of Shirqat in Salahuddin Province for fighters killed [by IS] the previous day,” Dahduh explained.

He added that the people wounded in the explosion were in critical condition.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The security situation in Salahuddin and other areas retaken by Iraqi forces in the fight against IS extremists have recently deteriorated.

In December, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared a “final victory” over the extremist group, but the militants continue to carry out assassinations, ambushes, and bombings across the country.

Last year, Iraqi troops regained control of Mosul, IS’ de facto capital in the country, with the help of Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the support of the US-led coalition.

The liberation of the city put an end to the cross-border “caliphate” IS had announced in mid-2014 when they took over large swaths of land in northern and western Iraq.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany