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Iraq: Series of Deadly Explosions Hit Kirkuk

Iraq: Series of Deadly Explosions Hit Kirkuk
folder_openMiddle East... access_time4 years ago
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By Staff, Agencies

Several people lost their lives and more than a dozen others were wounded in a series of blasts that struck the city of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said.

At least six improvised explosive devices went off on Thursday in the northern city and two more were defused by security forces, the military said in a statement.

It gave a death toll of three people and said 16 others were wounded.

Unidentified security officials told The Associated Press that the blasts killed at least four people and wounded 23, while medical sources in Kirkuk's general hospital told Reuters that at least five people were killed and 18 wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Saad Harbya, the head of Kirkuk security operations, blamed Daesh [the Arabic acronym for terrorist ‘ISIS/ISIL’ group].

Speaking on Rudaw TV, he accused Daesh of trying to "retaliate against the harsh attacks by Iraqi forces", noting that the situation was under control.

The explosions reportedly struck in the center of Kirkuk, in a commercial area that has several shopping centers, cafes and restaurants, sending people fleeing in panic.

The blasts went off in quick succession after iftar, the meal that breaks daylong fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when streets are typically crowded with shoppers and people are out having dinner.

Police blocked off all roads leading to the blast sites and were allowing only ambulances to transfer the wounded to nearby hospitals.

Iraq declared victory over Daesh, which once held large swaths of the country, in December 2017.

But Daesh has switched to hit-and-run attacks aimed at undermining the central government in Iraq's capital, Baghdad.

The group’s terrorists have regrouped in the Hamrin mountain range in the northeast, which extends from Diyala province, on the border with Iran, crossing northern Salahuddin province and southern Kirkuk.

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