News   /   Iraq   /   News

Militants target area near Iraq’s Baghdad airport: Officials

An Iraqi Airways plane arrives at Baghdad International Airport. (AP)

Takfiri militants in Iraq have targeted an area close to the country’s largest airport in the capital Baghdad with rockets, security officials say.

“A number of Katyusha rockets landed near Camp al-Nasr (Victory), west of Baghdad,” a statement by the security command responsible for Baghdad said on Monday, referring to a base close to Baghdad International Airport, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) west of Baghdad.

The statement noted that the rockets were launched by the militants positioned in the area of Taji, located 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the capital.

According to an Iraqi colonel, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, 13 rockets hit two areas near the airport.

An official at the facility said that none of the rockets had hit the airport itself.

There has been no immediate report on the number of possible casualties in the rocket fire, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Earlier in the day, a bomb detonated near an Iraqi army patrol in Taji, killing three soldiers.

A police source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 12 people were killed and 42 injured when a car rigged with explosives exploded in the al-Amin al-Thaniyah neighborhood of eastern Baghdad.

In addition, two civilians lost their lives and five others sustained injuries when an improvised explosive device was set off near a popular market in the town of Yusufiyah, situated 40 kilometers (24 miles) south of Baghdad.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq says a total of 1,325 Iraqis were killed and another 1,811 wounded in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in August. According to the UN mission, the number of civilian fatalities stood at 585. Violence also claimed the lives of 740 members of the Iraqi security forces. A great portion of the fatalities was recorded in Baghdad, where 318 civilians were killed.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh Takfiri militants began their march through the Iraqi territory in June 2014. Army soldiers and the Popular Mobilization units have joined forces and are seeking to take back militant-held regions in joint operations.


Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Press TV News Roku