Deadly Car Bomb Attacks Rocks Iraq's North
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Authorities in Iraq said back-to-back car bomb attacks have killed seven people belonging to an ethnic minority in the country's north.
Police officials said the explosions on Friday morning took place in Tahrawa, a village inhabited by families from the Shabak ethnic group, who have their own distinct language and belief system.
The village is near the city of Mosul, 360 kilometres northwest of Baghdad.
Police say about 37 people were wounded in the blasts, AP reported.
Hospital officials confirmed the toll from the attack. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to release details to journalists.
The attack comes a day after fighters launched an offensive on Samarra, also in the country’s north, killing seven members of the security forces and taking control of some areas of the city, officials said.
Reinforcements were sent in and local authorities imposed a curfew.
Helicopter gunships bombed fighters’ positions, pushing the attackers back, though they remained in control of some areas of the city by the late afternoon.
Local hospital officials said that apart from the seven policemen and soldiers killed, several attackers also died. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to media.
