Members of the Saraya al-Salam militia linked to powerful Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr march in Iraq's holy city of Najaf on May 17, 2016

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Samarra (Iraq) (AFP)

Eight members of a militia linked to Iraq's powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr were killed Thursday in a bomb blast north of Baghdad, security sources said.

The roadside bomb exploded when a convoy of Saraya al-Salam drove along a highway near Samarra, one source said, adding that several people were also wounded in the attack.

One of the eight militiamen killed was a commander who took part in anti-jihadist operations in Iraq, said another source.

Samarra -- a Sunni majority region -- is home to a major Iraqi security headquarters and to an important Shiite shrine where a 2006 bombing touched off two years of sectarian bloodletting.

The militia, led by Sadr whose political alliance triumphed in May 2018 parliamentary elections, has been deployed in the Samarra region since 2014 when the Islamic State group swept across Iraq.

© 2019 AFP</s>Eight members of a militia linked to Iraq's powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr were killed Thursday in a bomb blast north of Baghdad, security sources said.

The roadside bomb exploded when a convoy of Saraya al-Salam drove along a highway near Samarra, one source said, adding that several people were also wounded in the attack.

One of the eight militiamen killed was a commander who took part in anti-jihadist operations in Iraq, said another source.

Samarra -- a Sunni majority region -- is home to a major Iraqi security headquarters and to an important Shiite shrine where a 2006 bombing touched off two years of sectarian bloodletting.

The militia, led by Sadr whose political alliance triumphed in May 2018 parliamentary elections, has been deployed in the Samarra region since 2014 when the Islamic State group swept across Iraq.</s>Those released are members of the Citizen Armed Auxiliary who were taken as captives after the rebel attacked a military detachment in December

DAVAO CITY – The military confirmed on Friday, February 15, the release of 6 militiamen abducted by the New People's Army during an attack at a government detachment in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur, on December 19, 2018.

A total of 15 militiamen and soldiers were taken as captives by the rebels in that attack

Lieutenant Colonel Ezra Balagtey, the spokesperson of the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) based here, said the rebels freed the government men on Valentine's Day, nearly two months after being forcibly taken They were all militiamen.

Released were Jurian Gaviola; Marson Iligan; Bienvinido Lamion; Eddie Tindoy; Sanny Malobay; and Hermito Iligan, all members of the Auxiliary Unit of the Citizen Armed Auxiliary (CAA).

Based on a report by the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, the 6 militiamen were handed over to IFI Bishop Delfin Callao Jr. around 4 pm in Barangay San Juan in Baguyan City.

Callao, who served as third party facilitator for the release of the militiamen, was accompanied by Agusan del Sur Vice Gov. Samuel Tortor and 3 provincial board members, including Santiago Cane Jr. The families of the freed militiamen were also present.

The 6 militiamen were then turned over to the Army's 4th Infantry Battalion around 6 pm, Balagtey said. They are now undergoing medical checkup and will be debriefed.

Major General Felimon Santos, EastMinCom commander, credited the military's “relentless operations” as the main factor in the release of the militiamen.

He said the military would continue with its operations to secure the remaining captives.

“Our units in the area are continuously conducting military operations to rescue the remaining troops who are still being held and used as human shields and propaganda subject by the NPA,” Santos said. – Rappler.com
A roadside bomb blast kills 8 Shiite militiamen and wounds others.