19 January 2018•Update: 19 January 2018
By Ibrahim Saleh and Hussein Amir
BAGHDAD
At least three civilians were killed Friday in two separate bombings in Iraq’s Baghdad and Diyala provinces, according to local security sources.
"A roadside bomb went off in the Al-Taji industrial area north of the capital," Baghdad police officer Hatem al-Jabri told Anadolu Agency.
The explosion had killed two civilians and injured three others, al-Jabri said, going on to point out that security forces had since cordoned off the area.
In Diyala province, meanwhile, an explosive device went off near the Sherwin area -- some 45 kilometers east of Baquba -- killing one civilian resident, Police Captain Habib al-Shammari told Anadolu Agency.
No group has claimed responsibility for either of the bombings, but Iraqi security officials typically blame Daesh “sleeper cells” for such attacks.
In mid-2014, the notorious terrorist group overran roughly one third of Iraq. Over the course of the last year, however, the Iraqi military -- backed by a U.S.-led coalition -- has managed to recover almost all lost territory.
Early last month, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared that the country had been “entirely purged” of Daesh militants.
