Islamic State militants ambushed a group of Iraq’s Shiite-led paramilitary fighters, killing at least 27, officials say, underlining the extremist group’s capabilities of launching large-scale attacks two months after Baghdad declared victory over IS in all of Iraq.
The Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of mostly Shiite militias, says in a statement that the attack took place in the al-Saadounya area, southwest of the northern city of Kirkuk, when the paramilitaries were conducting overnight raids.
The attackers were disguised in army uniforms and pretended to man a fake checkpoint, the statement says, adding that ensuing clashes lasted for at least two hours and that some of the militants were killed while others fled the area.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, a spokesman for Iraqi military, blamed IS “sleeper cells” and says Iraqi forces were searching the area to find the perpetrators.
IS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on its Aamaq news agency.
Karim al-Nouri, a PMF spokesman, describes the attack as a “heinous crime” and calls for thorough scrutiny for those returning to their liberated areas.
— AP
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 19, 2018
