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Seven killed in Baghdad suburb despite anti-IS sweep: security sources
BAGHDAD, Sept 22, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Seven people have been killed in three
attacks in the northern outskirts of the Iraqi capital, security sources said
Sunday, despite the army recently declaring the area swept of jihadists.
The overnight attacks Saturday into Sunday targeted the homes of tribal
fighters belonging to the powerful Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force, as
well as army barracks, in the Sunni suburb of Tarmiya, the sources said.
The Tribal Hashed is composed largely of Sunni fighters and feeds into the
broader Shiite-dominated Hashed al-Shaabi, which fought back the Islamic
State group with Iraqi troops.
Tarmiya has long been a bastion of Sunni extremist groups and IS sleeper
cells have continued to operate in the area, according to the security
sources.
“Unidentified gunmen attacked the home of a member of the Tribal Hashed,
killing him, his wife, his son and mother,” a police officer told AFP, asking
to remain anonymous.
The officer said a separate attack overnight saw sniper fire hit an army
barracks, killing two members of the security forces.
And at dawn on Sunday, another attack targeted a Tribal Hashed member’s
home, killing one, he added.
On Sunday afternoon, security forces announced they had killed one would-be
suicide bomber in a village in the Tarmiya region.
For weeks this summer, Iraqi forces — the army, police and the Hashed —
combed the orchards around Tarmiya for IS sleeper cells.
In July, they declared the operation a success after arresting several
alleged IS members.
IS overran large parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria in 2014, declaring a
“caliphate” in areas they controlled.
Iraq in late 2017 declared victory against IS but the group’s disparate
network of undercover fighters still carries out deadly attacks across the
country.
On Friday, an attack claimed by IS killed 12 people on the edge of Karbala,
as the Shiite holy city prepares to receive millions of pilgrims next month.
BSS/AFP/ARS/2012 hrs