BAGHDAD (AFP) – Three Iraqi soldiers were killed yesterday when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in farmland north of Baghdad, the Defence Ministry said.
There was no immediate claim for the bombing which targetted a patrol in the Tarmiya district, around 30 kilometres outside the capital.
The area is a known hotspot for Islamic State (IS) group sleeper cells, who remain active five years after Iraqi authorities proclaimed victory over the extremists.
A lieutenant-colonel was killed in the blast along with two of his men, the ministry said.
Three soldiers were also wounded, a separate security force statement added.
Tarmiya’s orchards and palm groves are criss-crossed by a network of irrigation channels that make the area an ideal hideout for militants.
Iraqi counter-terrorism units carry out regular search operations in the area in a bid to prevent it being used as a launchpad for attacks but the terrain favours the sleeper cells.
