Gun, suicide bomb attacks kill 12 in Iraq’s Tikrit

AFP, SAMARRA, Iraq: Militants killed 12 people in a shooting and a suicide bombing Saturday in the northern city of Tikrit, which was recaptured from the Islamic State group last year, police said.
Tikrit was seized by IS in June 2014, but the city has largely been spared the attacks that have plagued other parts of the country since its recapture.
Militants shot dead four security personnel at a checkpoint on the west side of the city, then continued north and detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle at another checkpoint, killing eight more people, a police colonel and lieutenant colonel said.The attacks also wounded a total of 23 people, according to the officers.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but IS frequently carries out suicide attacks targeting both civilians and security forces in Iraq.
Hometown of executed dictator Saddam Hussein, Tikrit lies 60 kilometres (100 miles) north of Baghdad and was the second city to fall to IS in 2014 as the jihadists swept through large areas north and west of the capital.

 

Gun, suicide bomb attacks kill 12 in Iraqs Tikrit

AFP, SAMARRA, Iraq: Militants killed 12 people in a shooting and a suicide bombing Saturday in the northern city of Tikrit, which was recaptured from the Islamic State group last year, police said. Tikrit was seized by IS in June 2014, but the city has largely been spared the attacks that have plagued other parts of the country since its recapture. Militants shot dead four security personnel at a checkpoint on the west side of the city, then continued north and detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle at another checkpoint, killing eight more people, a police colonel and lieutenant colonel said.The attacks also wounded a total of 23 people, according to the officers. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but IS frequently carries out suicide attacks targeting both civilians and security forces in Iraq. Hometown of executed dictator Saddam Hussein, Tikrit lies 60 kilometres (100 miles) north of Baghdad and was the second city to fall to IS in 2014 as the jihadists swept through large areas north and west of the capital.