Women and children among 14 killed in suicide bombing at camp for Iraq displaced

Women and children among 14 killed in suicide bombing at camp for Iraq displaced
A suicide bomber attacked a camp for displaced Iraqis in Anbar province on Sunday, killing 14 people, a police major and a doctor confirmed.

2 min read
03 July, 2017
The suicide bomber targeted a camp hosting displaced Iraqis [File Photo: Getty]

At least 14 people were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a camp for displaced Iraqis in the Anbar province on Sunday evening, a police major and a doctor said.

Most of the victims were women and children, however two security personnel and a captain were among the dead. Thirteen others were also injured in the blast at the 60 Kilo camp west of Anbar capital Ramadi.

"All the displaced people in the camp will be brought to the 18 Kilo camp west of Ramadi," as it is "safer and receives more aid," Adnan Fayhan, the head of the local council in the al-Wafaa area, where the camp is located, said.

"The 60 Kilo camp will be closed after all the displaced people have been brought to the 18 Kilo camp," he said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State militant group frequently carries out suicide bombings targeting civilians in Iraq.

Iraqi forces recaptured the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah from IS, but the militants still hold areas in western Anbar, and the province still faces major security challenges.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led airstrikes have since regained much of the territory they lost.

Iraqi forces are now in the final stages of the battle to retake Mosul from IS, but will have more fighting to do in Anbar and elsewhere after recapturing the country's second city.

Security in some parts of Iraq will likely worsen as IS loses more ground and increasingly returns to insurgent-style bombings and hit-and-run attacks.

Agencies contributed to this report.