Two IS suicide bombers kill at least nine soldiers just 50km west of Baghdad

Two IS suicide bombers kill at least nine soldiers just 50km west of Baghdad
Two IS suicide bombers were able to infiltrate territory controlled by the Iraqi army to detonate explosives inside a security base only 50km west of the Iraqi capital.
2 min read
13 July, 2017
Soldiers flying the Iraqi flag after retaking an Islamic State town [AFP]

Two Islamic State group suicide bombers killed at least nine Iraqi troops during a surprise attack at a security centre in western Anbar province on Thursday morning.

The attackers snuck into the entrance of the military headquarters in the Iraqi town of Karma, 50km west of Baghdad, and blew themselves up among a group of soldiers and militia fighters, according to local sources.

A member of the Anbar provincial council confirmed that four soldiers, including Hashd al-Shaabi (PMU) fighters, were also injured in the attack.

An Anbar MP Ahmed al-Salmani responded to the attack by calling on Prime Minister Haider Abadi to counter a growing security threat from IS.

"Iraqi forces should be sent to the towns of Anata, Rawa and al-Qaim, west of Anbar, as they represent a continuing security threat to the province," said Salmani.

IS still controls large areas of Anbar province and has recently made a number of attacks in regions that were reportedly cleared of IS elements.

The IS-owned Amaq news agency reports a number of attacks in Fallujah, Hadar, Hamam al Ali and Machahda in recent weeks.

Anbar politicians and military commanders have repeatedly lobbied Baghdad for more military spending in Anbar, as the majority of the annual budget was spent on the Mosul offensive.

US security companies connected to Erik Prince's failed company, Blackwater, have reportedly won security contracts for the region.

Experts warned before the attack on Mosul that spending less on security in Anbar would allow for an IS resurgence, potentially putting Baghdad at risk of more attacks.