ISLAMIC STATE FIGHTERS KILL 11 IRAQI SOLDIERS ‘IN THEIR SLEEP’

Fri 21 January 2022:

According to reports from Iraqi security sources, suspected Islamic State fighters raided an Iraqi army barracks in Diyala region, killing 11 troops while they slept.

The attack took occurred early Friday in the al-Azim district, a mountainous area more than 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Baghdad, according to the sources.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, and the circumstances surrounding the attack were unclear, but two officials speaking to The Associated Press news agency said ISIL terrorists burst into the barracks around 3 a.m. local time (00:00 GMT) and shot the soldiers before escaping.

Because they were not authorized to make public statements, the officials talked on the condition of anonymity.

The heinous assault was one of the worst in recent months against the Iraqi troops.

In 2014, Islamic State seized a significant expanse of ground in Iraq and Syria. The armed organization lost territorial control and was basically destroyed in 2017 after a series of violent offensives against it — yet it remains active through sleeper cells in several regions.

Members of the organization continue to carry out activities, which frequently target security forces, power plants, and other infrastructure.

Last month, Islamic State attacked a town in northern Iraq, killing at least ten people, including seven members of the Peshmerga, the Kurdish security forces.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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