17 dead in Iraq violence as elections loom

[World News]

View attachment 7139​

Violence across Iraq killed 17 people Friday while security forces killed another 15 militants in clashes south of Baghdad, the latest in a surge of bloodshed ahead of parliamentary elections. The unrest has been principally driven by anger in the Sunni Arab community over alleged mistreatment at the hands of the Shiite-led government and security forces, as well as a spillover from the civil war in neighbouring Syria. Apart from the capital, Friday's violence struck in predominantly Sunni areas of Nineveh, Salaheddin and Kirkuk provinces to the north, and in Anbar to the west, while security forces engaged in a firefight with insurgents south of Baghdad, security and medical officials said. The clashes, which broke out during attempted raids of militant strongholds in Yusifiyah, Latifiyah and Jurf al-Sakhr, left 15 militants dead, while three members of the security forces were also killed.

Continue reading...