Daesh terrorists have killed four police officers at a checkpoint in Iraq’s Salahuddin province after reports that the US and its regional allies were trying to facilitate the resurgence of the Takfiri outfit in the Arab country.
Mohammed al-Bazi, a member of the provincial police, said the Takfiri terrorists attacked the police outpost guarding oil pipelines in Baiji, home to Iraq’s largest refinery, on Saturday.
The exchange of fire also left a terrorist dead and another police officer wounded, the report said.
The attack comes amid chaos and insecurity in the country where months of violent protests and unrest have weakened the central government and jolted security institutions.
The events have seen unknown assailants emerging from cars and gunning down protesters while assassinations and kidnappings have overshadowed peaceful protests.
Since October 1, more than 300 people have been killed in the country, according to the Iraqi parliament’s human rights commission.
The turmoil comes nearly two years after Iraq declared victory over the Daesh terror group.
Many analysts believe the US and its allies, in particular Saudi Arabia and Israel, have been taking advantage of rightful economic and social demands by Iraqi protesters to create insecurity and mayhem and facilitate re-emergence of the Takfiri terrorist group.
Iraqi officials and politicians have also warned of outside attempts to plunge the country into chaos.
Qais al-Khazali, the leader of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq movement, said Friday Israeli and American spy services have formed a joint network that leads violent groups, and uses security companies to kill Iraqi protesters.
“The US seeks to tarnish our image by accusing us of complicity in killing protesters. How on earth can we kill our own people while we have lost our lives in the fight against Daesh because of them,” he said in an interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera TV.
Recent reports have said Daesh is still active in parts of the country, from where it stages terrorist operations.
Outgoing prime minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi in a press conference last month warned that hundreds of Daesh terrorists in Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr were attempting to cross into Iraq.
In his interview, Khazali said the US had made several attempts in recent months to force Abdul-Mahdi into resignation.
“That’s because Abdul-Mahdi rejected a US request to enjoy half of the country’s oil reserves in return for its reconstruction,” Khazali revealed.
“Trump had claimed he would seize the entire oil reserves of Iraq and use security firms to guarantee the US presence in the Arab country. However, Abdul-Mahdi declined this request, and the Americans are calling for his resignation after this stance, and his energy contract with China,” he added.