5 killed in violence across war-torn Iraq

By Ibrahim Salih and Osman al-Shalash

BAGHDAD (AA) - At least five people were killed and almost a dozen others injured in a spate of attacks across Iraq on Wednesday.

A bomb went off in Baghdad’s southern Al-Madaen district, killing three civilians and injuring seven others, Salem al-Nuaman, a local police officer, told Anadolu Agency.

In a separate attack, a member of the Hashd al-Shaabi, an umbrella group of pro-government Shia militias, was killed -- and another four injured -- when their patrol hit a roadside bomb in the Abu Ghraib area west of Baghdad, al-Nuaman said.

Shortly afterward, a bomb-disposal expert was killed -- and a police officer injured -- while trying to defuse a bomb found in the city of Tikrit northwest of Baghdad.

There was no claim of responsibility for Wednesday’s violence, but the Iraqi authorities typically blame such attacks on the Daesh terrorist group.

Iraq’s security situation has deteriorated dramatically since mid-2014, when Daesh overran the northern city of Mosul before capturing additional territory in both Iraq and neighboring Syria.

Last month, more than 1,000 people were killed in separate acts of violence across the country, according to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).