Failed suicide bombing in Khanaqin leaves 4 injured: source

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – At least four people were wounded when a suicide bomber attempted to detonate his vest in Khanaqin, sources in the area told Kurdistan 24 on Thursday.

The attack occurred at a cafeteria in the city of Khanaqin, located in the disputed province of Diyala, the source said.

“The attacker, a young man, attempted to blow himself up at the cafeteria, but he failed,” the source added, noting the culprit died in his attempt.

The injured civilians were taken to hospitals in the area.

Security forces in the area have cordoned off the area, including the roads that lead to the cafeteria for fears the explosives could still detonate. A bomb squad has been called to the area.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, although the self-proclaimed Islamic State had once controlled parts of the governorate.

Despite nearly two years since the Islamic State’s territorial collapse in Iraq, the group continues to remain a menace throughout the country but have been especially problematic in areas with security gaps.

In May, two separate bombings by suspected Islamic State sleeper cells in the disputed district of Khanaqin resulted in the deaths of two civilians.

In the same month, the US-led Coalition against the Islamic State, formally known as Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), affirmed that the terrorist organization remains a significant threat.

In Iraq, the Islamic State has become “particularly virulent” in the provinces of Nineveh, Salahuddin, Diyala, and Anbar provinces, Maj. Gen. Chris Ghika, the British Deputy Commander of CJTF-OIR, told reporters in a press briefing from Baghdad.

(Additional reporting by Harem Jaff)