At least six dead, seven more wounded in suicide attack in Iraq's Salahuddin

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – At least six security forces in Iraq have been killed and seven more wounded in a potential double suicide-bombing attack in the Salahuddin province, according to local officials.

A militant wearing a suicide vest blew himself up, killing six and wounding seven members of the Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Colonel Khalil al-Sahn, the police chief of Shirqat district, told Reuters.

The attack reportedly took place in the Asdira village in Salahuddin Province’s Shirqat District early morning near the house of former Iraqi lawmaker, Adnan al-Ganam.

Local news outlets quoting eyewitnesses, however, claimed there were two blasts in the area, with casualties as high as fifteen wounded and killed.

The targeted militiamen are members of the Sunni faction of the Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as the Tribal Mobilization Forces.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the Islamic State (IS) is still active in the area, with sleeper cells regularly carrying out small-scale attacks.

Despite Iraq declaring “final victory” over the militants last December, the group continues to launch insurgency-style attacks, kidnappings, and ambushes in the disputed provinces of Kirkuk, Diyala, and Salahuddin.

According to local media, Tikrit, Salahuddin’s provincial capital, and Shirqat are now on high alert as a result of the bombings. Ambulances were sent to the region to rush victims to nearby hospitals.

Editing by Nadia Riva