Second attack in 3 days in disputed Iraqi town of Tuz Khurmatu wounds 2

Eight mortar shells struck a populated area in Tuz Khurmatu, wounding two and causing damage to several buildings.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi security forces said on Thursday that two civilians were wounded in a shelling attack on a populated area of the disputed town of Tuz Khurmatu, located in eastern Salahuddin province.

This marks the second deadly incident in just three days in the ethnically diverse town, disputed between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government in Baghdad.

A security source told Kurdistan 24 on Thursday that, earlier in the day, eight mortar shells struck a residential neighborhood in Tuz Khurmatu, wounding two people who were transferred to a hospital to receive emergency treatment.  

Iraq's Security Media Cell described the bombardment as a “terrorist attack” and said it resulted in damage to eight houses.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but remnants of the so-called Islamic State have launched scores of similar attacks in and around the town—as well as other disputed areas—since Iraq declared victory over the terrorist organization in late 2017.

A motorcycle bomb detonated in Tuz Khurmatu on Tuesday, wounding seven people including women and children. 

Related Article: Child among 7 wounded in Salahuddin bombing

On the same day, an improvised explosive device blew up on a convoy of a security company to the west in the city of Tikrit, also in Salahuddin.

The latest spate of attacks comes amid unprecedented measures Baghdad has taken across provinces affected by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, which has infected at least 192 people nationwide, as per official numbers.

Editing by John J. Catherine