Attacks in Iraq leave 5 dead: Officials

By Afra Aksoy

BAGHDAD (AA) - At least five people were killed in attacks in Iraq's capital and Kirkuk province, security officials said Wednesday.

In Baghdad’s Sadr City district, unidentified attackers opened fire from a car, killing three people, Baghdad Police Captain Ahmad Khalaf told Anadolu Agency.

Meanwhile, a bomb attack in Mullah Abdullah town in northern Kirkuk province left two dead and another injured, Kirkuk Police Captain Hamid al-Obeidi told Anadolu Agency.

No group has claimed responsibility for either attack.

Terrorist groups have thrived in Iraq due to chaos, corruption and sectarian policies. The Daesh terrorist group quickly spread in regions where Sunni Muslims accounted for the majority of the population. On June 10, 2014 Daesh seized Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, without encountering any resistance.

Daesh gained dominance in one-third of Iraq, having a strong presence in the provinces of Mosul, Anbar, Salahuddin and parts of Diyala and Kirkuk.

Backed by the U.S.-led coalition, Iraqi forces recaptured the city of Tikrit in 2014. In 2016, Iraqi forces gained control of Fallujah city in Anbar.

The battle in Mosul was more challenging. It took nine months for the Iraqi authorities to take it back from Daesh. However, Mosul turned into a "ghost city" following intense clashes.

On Dec. 18, 2017, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced that Daesh’s presence in Iraq had been eradicated. Some 5 million Iraqis became internally displaced. The cost of the destruction in Mosul, Anbar and Salahuddin amounted to around $80 billion. Tens of thousands of civilians also lost their lives due to Daesh atrocities.

*Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur