Baghdad Suicide Bomb Kills 6; Province Takes on Militants
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A suicide bomber targeted a police checkpoint in a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least six people. South of the Iraqi capital, a provincial council approved a decision allowing authorities to demolish homes of convicted militants.
The Baghdad attacker, who was on foot, blew up his explosives-laden vest at a police checkpoint in the northern neighborhood of Shula, a police officer said.
Three policemen and three civilians were killed and at least 15 people were wounded in the explosion, the officer added, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which bore the hallmarks of Daesh (ISIL). The terrorist group has claimed previous such attacks against security forces and public places mainly in Shiite-dominated areas.
Meanwhile, the decision by the Babil Provincial Council reflects attempts by local authorities to try - independently of the central government in Baghdad - to rein in terrorist attacks in municipalities and provinces across the country battered by years of war.
Hassan Fadaam, a Babil Provincial Council member, told The Associated Press in a phone interview that the council decision was approved on Tuesday in the provincial capital of Hillah, 95 kilometers (60 miles) south of Baghdad.
