Separate ISIS attacks in disputed Diyala province leaves at least 5 dead, dozens injured

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Separate Islamic State attacks in the disputed province of Diyala on Sunday left at least five people dead and dozens more injured.

A source in the Garmiyan area told Kurdistan 24 that Islamic State fighters attacked the Islah village near Jalawla, where they clashed with Iraqi forces. “At least six people were wounded, and one dead in the melee,” the source said, without elaborating further.

Elsewhere, an Islamic State attack at an oil site in Jalawla near the Khanaqin – Baqubah road left at least four Hashd al-Shaabi members dead, and 16 others injured, the source said. Iraqi media reported nearly 50 injuries.

The wounded were brought to local hospitals in Diyala for treatment, the source added.

Despite Iraq having declared a military defeat against the terror group in late 2017, the Islamic State continues to pose a threat in the region.

Indeed, the extremist group attacked a small town in a part of the Kurdistan Region known as Garmiyan late on Friday, killing three and injuring eight others, including two children.

Read More: ISIS attack in Kurdistan Region kills 3 and wounds 8, including children

On Saturday, separate bombings in the disputed province of Kirkuk left at least 16 people injured, security and health officials said.

Officials in the Kurdistan Region have often called on the relevant authorities to address the root causes that led to the rise of the Islamic State, warning that the group’s ideology remains a risk.

(Additional reporting by Haram Jaff)