Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-26 22:21:12|Editor: xuxin

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BAGHDAD, May 26 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and eight others wounded on Sunday when a truck bomb ripped through a popular market at a village in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, the Iraqi military said.

The attack took place in the afternoon when a booby-trapped truck was detonated at a crowded marketplace in the village of al-Uwaynat near the town of Rabiaa near the border with Syria, the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but IS militants, in most cases, have been responsible for such attacks targeting security forces and areas where crowds of civilians gather, including markets, cafes and mosques.

The security situation in Iraq was dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017.

IS remnants, however, have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas as safe havens, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. </s> Local media reported that the incident took place in Qadisiyah district on Sunday, with both security forces and civilians believed to be among the casualties.

Separately, gunmen raided a checkpoint in Najaf’s al-Meshkhab area, but the number of possible casualties remains unclear, Press TV reported.

Meanwhile, local sources have reported several mortar attacks around Najaf Province.

The Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terror group has claimed responsibility for the bomb attack. The terrorists have in recent months increased their acts of violence across Iraq in revenge for the blows they have been taking from Iraqi armed forces in the battle for the liberation of Mosul.

On Saturday, the capital Baghdad also witnessed bloodshed. At least 28 people lost their lives in a bomb explosion at a crowded market. The attack was later claimed by Daesh.

In another development on Saturday, an improvised explosive device went off in the district of Yarmuk in western Baghdad, leaving a civilian wounded.

Two more people were also injured after a magnetic bomb exploded on al-Qanat Highway in eastern Baghdad

Meanwhile, Baghdad Operations Command spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan said that five booby-traps had exploded in northwestern Baghdad, killing one person and hurting six others.

Data from monthly reports issued by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) shows that acts of terrorism killed a total of 12,038 Iraqis and injured 14,411 others in 2016.

Iraqi forces advance on Mosul, kill Takfiris

On Saturday, Iraqi forces made fresh gains against Takfiri militants in their push to liberate the northern city of Mosul, the last Daesh stronghold in the country, killing some 200 terrorists.

The commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Yarallah, said a unit of the Iraqi army had hoisted the national flag over buildings in the village of Arkub, situated in the north of Hudaba neighborhood.

The Arabic-language al-Forat news agency also reported that members of the Popular Mobilization Units, backed by federal police forces, retook the village of Shukran after engaging terrorists and killing a large number of them.

Meanwhile, Iraq’s War Media Cell said policemen had clashed with Daesh elements in Mosul’s southeast, releasing several trapped locals.

Separately, Iraq’s Defense Ministry reported that two militant mortar firing positions and six vehicles had been destroyed in Arkub. Some 55 militants died on the northern front of the Mosul battle.

On the eastern front, two explosives-laden vehicles were destroyed and 45 militants were killed in clashes with Iraqi army soldiers.

In southern Mosul, federal police forces got rid of seven explosives-packed vehicles and killed 86 Daesh terrorists.

Iraqi army troops and allied fighters launched a long-awaited operation to recapture Mosul on October 17.

Defeating Daesh in the city would be a major blow to the Takfiri outfit that began its campaign of terror in northern and western Iraq more than two years ago.

Earlier this week, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said it would take three months to rid the country of Daesh. </s> Iraq's military says a car bomb has killed five people and wounded eight in a northwestern village near the Syrian border.

A military statement said the car was parked near a market in the village of Oweinat in Nineveh province.

The area was once held by the Islamic State group that controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria.

Despite its defeat in Iraq in 2017, IS sleeper cells have been blamed for attacks across the country that have killed and wounded scores of people over the past two years. </s> The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks in Iraq since mid-October including three since New Year's Eve.

The latest on Monday saw at least 32 people killed in a suicide car bombing that targeted a Shiite neighbourhood of the capital Baghdad.

At least 27 people were also killed by twin explosions in a busy market area in central Baghdad on New Year's Eve, while another seven died on Sunday in an attack south of the Shiite shrine city of Najaf.

They were the latest in a spate of attacks since the army launched an offensive in mid-October to recapture Mosul, the country's second city and last remaining IS stronghold in Iraq. One on November 25 saw 70 people, mostly Shiite pilgrims, killed south of Baghdad.

The wave of violence has shocked many, but the attacks are still far from the deadliest since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003:

- July 3, 2016: 323 people are killed when a suicide truck bomber attacks a shopping area in the Baghdad district of Karrada.

- October 25, 2009: 153 people are killed and more than 500 wounded when two car bombs explode in Baghdad.

- August 14, 2007: More than 400 people are slaughtered when four suicide truck bombs target members of the ancient Yazidi religious sect in two Kurdish villages in northern Iraq.

- July 7, 2007: At least 140 people are killed in a suicide truck bombing in Amerli village in northern Iraq.

- April 18, 2007: A wave of car bomb attacks on Shiite districts of Baghdad leaves 190 dead.

- March 27, 2007: An anti-Shiite attack in the northern town of Tal Afar kills 152.

- February 3, 2007: A suicide truck bomb attack in a Baghdad market kills at least 130.

- November 23, 2006: At least 202 die in a string of car bombings in Baghdad's Sadr City.

- September 14, 2005: At least 128 people are killed in a series of suicide bombings in Shiite districts of Baghdad.

- March 2, 2004: Bomb attacks on Shiites in the holy city of Karbala and in Baghdad kill more than 170. </s> (Hatha al-Youm | Iraq News )- ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A lawmaker from Nineveh province on Monday called on Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi to increase security through local forces in areas once under the control of the self-proclaimed Islamic State a day following a blast in the large town of Rabia, on the Syrian border.Five people were killed and eight others injured in the explosion, which was carried out by a small car parked near a vegetable market, security sources said. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but security forces have laid the blame on the Islamic State.This attack came a day after fires swept through vast areas of wheat fields, like many other parts of the country, from the outskirts of the Kurdish city of Khanaqin in Diyala province to the east of Iraq to Anbar province in the west. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for many of the fires.Read More: Thousands of acres of agricultural crops destroyed in fires over past two weeks in IraqIn a statement, Kurdish MP Sherwan al-Dupardani called on Abdul-Mahdi and the Nineveh’s security chief to “strengthen the presence of security forces in liberated areas, especially [with] local police and empower the people of these areas to contribute to” security.He described the incident in Rabia as a “cowardly terrorist attack,” demanding concerted “intelligence efforts to pursue [ISIS] sleeper cells that are trying to create instability, especially in the border areas of Nineveh province and prevent the infiltration of terrorists across the border.”Read More: ISIS bombing kills 5, injures 10 who were extinguishing fire in disputed KirkukAlthough Iraq announced the military defeat of the Islamic State in December 2017, the terrorist group continues to carry out insurgency-style attacks in formerly liberated areas, like Mosul, as well as places it never controlled, like the nation’s capital of Baghdad.In March, the terrorist group’s territorial collapse came at the hands of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria. However, their sleeper agents continue to operate similarly and cause instability, crossing between Iraq and Syria due to weak border security.Editing by Karzan Sulaivany </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Mobile phone footage shows the aftermath of the attack, near the village of Shomali

Some 77 people, most of them Shia pilgrims from Iran and Afghanistan, have been killed in a truck bomb attack in Iraq, officials say.

The blast struck at a petrol station and restaurant near Hilla, some 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad.

Busloads of pilgrims had stopped there on their way home from commemorating Arbaeen in the holy city of Karbala. Some 40 people were wounded.

The jihadist group Islamic State said it carried out the attack.

Dense smoke

A senior local police officer told the BBC that the victims were on board four buses filling up with fuel at the road stop near the village of Shomali, 80 km (50 miles) south-east of Karbala.

A truck loaded with ammonia nitrate and other explosive material as well as fuel had been parked at the petrol station, and caused massive damage when it was detonated.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The restaurant and petrol station were a popular stop for pilgrims

Pictures from the scene showed dense black smoke and the wreckage of minibuses and cars. The restaurant and petrol station also appeared to have been destroyed. Bodies were strewn on the highway.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The suicide bomb blast targeted busloads of pilgrims

It is a familiar tactic of IS militants to strike in one place when under pressure in another, says the BBC Middle East correspondent Orla Guerin. Iraqi forces are currently pounding the IS-stronghold of Mosul in northern Iraq.

Millions of Shia pilgrims travelled to Karbala to mark Arbaeen, the end of the 40-day mourning period for the third Shia Imam, Hussein. This year it took place on Sunday.

Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was killed in battle at Karbala in the 7th Century on a day that is known as Ashura. His martyrdom is considered a defining event in the Sunni-Shia schism.

The Sunni militants of IS regard Shia as apostates because of their veneration of the Prophet's family and other beliefs and practices.

Image copyright AP Image caption Millions of Shia pilgrims made their way to Karbala to commemorate Arbaeen

Shia pilgrims are a target at this time of year, our correspondent adds. Although around 25,000 security forces were deployed to Karbala for the festival, some had returned to the front lines.

Last week six IS militants were confronted by security forces while on their way to Karbala, official said. Five were shot dead but the sixth blew himself up, killing eight civilians.

Deadliest bombings in Iraq in 2016

28 February: Twin suicide bomb attacks hit market in Sadr City, killing 70

6 March: Truck bomb at checkpoint at entrance to Hilla kills 47

11 May: Car bombs in Baghdad kill 93 people, including 64 in market in Shia district of Sadr City

2 July: Truck bombing outside shopping centre in mainly Shia Karrada district of Baghdad kills more than 300 </s> More than 20 people were killed in twin bomb blasts that hit a wedding party on Wednesday (8 February) in a village near Iraq's Tikrit. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Local officials and medics told Reuters that the explosions in the village of Hajjaj, which resembled Isis attacks, were carried out by suicide bombers.

The news agency quoted a police source as saying that the first two blasts were followed by two more targeting security forces at the wedding party venue. Clashes between some insurgents and the security forces continued for a while after the blasts, the person added.

Al Jazeera reported that at least 26 people were killed in the blast, following which the area was cordoned off. A wider curfew was also imposed in the area over fears of the presence of more militants. Tikrit, located 20km away from Hajjaj, was liberated of Isis rule in April 2015, but the Islamist group has continued to target the city in retaliatory attacks.

Meanwhile, Iraqi forces fighting to liberate western Mosul are facing similar suicide bombing attacks in the area. Major General Ali Kadhem al-Lami of the Federal Police's Fifth Division told Reuters that on Tuesday night, militants used car bombs in their counter-attack around the Nineveh governorate building to prevent their forces from taking control. "Today we're clearing the area which was liberated," he said.

Elsewhere, Iraq's Rapid Response force took back control of provincial government headquarters, the central bank branch and a museum in the area. Iraqi troops have already recaptured Mosul airport, which is believed to be a strategic position in the fight for west Mosul. </s> BAGHDAD (AP) — A car bomb exploded outside a popular ice cream shop in central Baghdad just after midnight on Monday, killing 13 people and wounding 24, hospital and police officials said.

The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, which Iraqi officials said involved apparently remotely detonated explosives inside a parked car. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The attack came just days into the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast during daylight hours. After sundown, families break their fast and Baghdad’s restaurants and cafes quickly fill up.

Videos posted to social media showed chaotic scenes on the streets surrounding the blast. A number of wounded lay on the ground, others propped themselves up on the colorful park benches outside the ice cream shop. One young girl, wearing a ribbon and bow in her hair, wandered the scene dazed.

Ramadan is often marked by an uptick in violence in Iraq.

Last year, Baghdad was rocked by a huge truck bomb attack that targeted a popular retail district in the city center where young people and families were shopping for new clothes ahead of the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. The blast killed hundreds in the single deadliest event in Baghdad since Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003. The IS group also claimed responsibility for that bombing, which ultimately led to the resignation of Iraq’s interior minister.

Tuesday’s attack comes as Iraqi troops are slowing pushing IS fighters out of their last strongholds in the northern city of Mosul. Iraqi commanders say the offensive, which recently entered its eight month, will mark the end of the IS caliphate in Iraq, but concede the group will likely increase insurgent attacks in the wake of military defeats.

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This story has been corrected to say that the bomb exploded early Tuesday. </s> "A bomb reportedly exploded in a night market in front of Carlitos Restaurant in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat at 8:35PM [12:35 GMT]. 34 patients were transported to 4 nearby hospitals and our chapter provided 5 units of blood for transfusion," Gordon wrote on Twitter.

The Philippine Red Cross team maintains contacts with police regarding the incident and is engaged in assessing the situation on the ground, Gordon added. Meanwhile, media reports suggest that one person was killed and 36 others were injured in the incident. The casualties were reportedly caused by the explosions of three improvised explosive devices planted in the area.

READ MORE: At Least 11 Killed After a Car Bomb Explodes in Southern Philippines

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte introduced the martial law on Mindanao in 2017 amid violent clashes in the area between the army and local militants, including those affiliated with the Daesh terror group.

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A truck bomb explodes at a popular market in the village of Nineveh, Iraq, killing 5 and injuring 8.