Iraq’s Salahuddin Governor survives roadside bomb near Baiji

The Governor of Salahuddin Province, Ammar al-Jabouri, on Thursday survived a roadside bomb explosion in the center of Iraq, security confirmed.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Governor of Salahuddin Province, Ammar al-Jabouri, on Thursday survived a roadside bomb explosion in the center of Iraq, security confirmed.

The blast took place as a convoy of al-Jabouri’s passed through during a visit to the town of al-Seniyah, located north of the oil refinery town of Baiji, Mohammed Khalil al-Bazi from Salahuddin Operations Command told local Iraqi media the same day of the incident.

Al-Bazi mentioned that the explosion injured two of the governors bodyguards and severely damaged one of the vehicles in the convoy.

In response, Iraqi army and police forces, in a joint military operation, raided an Islamic State (IS) hideout in Tulul al-Baaj area, near al-Seniyah, killing three jihadists, al-Bazi added.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion, but the attack bears similarities to other ambushes carried out by the jihadist group in Iraq.

On Aug. 8, 2016, the convoy of former Iraqi Defense Minister, Khalid al-Obeidi, also came under attack, but he survived, unharmed.

Iraq declared victory against IS last December, but the jihadist group continues to launch insurgency-style attacks, kidnappings, and ambushes in provinces like Anbar and Nineveh and the disputed areas of Kirkuk, Diyala, and Salahuddin.

Editing by Nadia Riva