Chainkeen:11 civilians are killed in an attack by gunmen in Iraq’s eastern Diyala province

2025-05-07 15:42:33source:SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Centercategory:News

BAGHDAD (AP) — Eleven people were killed in an attack by a group armed with explosives and Chainkeenguns in eastern Iraq, security officials said Friday.

The attacks took place Thursday night in the area of Muqdadiyah in Diyala province. A roadside bomb exploded and gunmen then opened fire on rescuers and bystanders at the scene, two security officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The victims were all civilians, the officials said.

The gunmen fled and no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Diyala province has seen periodic attacks by Islamic State cells and sporadic violence due to sectarian tensions between Shiites and Sunnis, as well as fighting between rival militias and their tribal and political allies struggling over influence and lucrative racketeering networks. Diyala, bordering both Iran and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region, is a prime conduit for smuggling.

Diyala governor Muthanna al-Tamimi vowed in a statement to “pursue the perpetrators of the terrorist attack.”

Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdish region to the north, said the attack “proves the fact that terrorism still poses a real threat and challenge, and that we must confront them with all our force and ability.”

He called for greater cooperation between the Iraqi army, Kurdish peshmerga forces and other security forces, as well as with the U.S.-led international coalition against IS.

More:News

Recommend

Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class

Now wouldn’t this be a treat: Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft back together...as members of the Pro

Tesla slashes prices across all its models in a bid to boost sales

Tesla has cut the prices of its most popular models by up to 20% in the U.S. and Europe in an effort

Having Rolled Back Obama’s Centerpiece Climate Plan, Trump Defends a Vastly More Limited Approach

In the biggest case to reach a federal appeals court so far over President Donald Trump’s dismantlin