Two terrorist attacks kill 9 in Iraq

Iraqi authorities have announced that two attacks targeting military forces have left at least nine people dead.

A police official was cited by local press reports as saying on Saturday that terrorists affiliated with the Takfiri ISIL group attacked an Iraqi army checkpoint in the town of Mansouriya in the restive Diyala Province, killing at least four individuals and wounding 14 more.

The second terrorist attack struck the town of Tarmiyah, located nearly 50 kilometers north of the capital, Baghdad, where security authorities said a roadside bomb targeted an Iraqi military convoy, killing at least five people.

According to official accounts, three of the fatalities were civilian bystanders and two were military personnel. Eight others were also wounded in the bombing attack.

Hospital authorities, meanwhile, confirmed the casualties announced by the security officials.

The development comes as Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed on Friday that Iraqi forces will defeat the ISIL terrorists in the near future amid more advances by the army, which is backed by Sunni tribesman and Shia volunteer forces.

“The course of the battle today is going on in favor of our honorable Iraqi people and tidings of victory have become visible and the abominable defeat will be the fate of Daesh (ISIL) and Iraq’s enemies and all the forces which have allied with them and which dared to attack our land, people and sanctities,” al-Abadi said.

The Iraqi premier further added that his country is determined to clear its north and west from the Takfiri ISIL terrorists.

MFB/HJL/SS