Armed assailants kill three in Iraq’s Samarra

The three were killed when unknown assailants attacked homes in the central Iraqi city, close to which IS militants and PMF fighters have recently clashed.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab Staff

01 October, 2021

Clashes have recently taken place between IS militants and PMF fighters near Samarra [Getty File Image]

Clashes have recently taken place between IS militants and PMF fighters near Samarra [Getty-file photo]

Three people were killed in an armed attack in the central Iraqi city of Samarra on Thursday night or the early hours of Friday, security sources have told The New Arab’s Arabic-language service.

The unknown assailants had attacked homes in the Qasr Al-Asheq area of Samarra, the sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Security forces arrived and searched the area after the assailants withdrew.

The security sources did not specify who was behind the attack, but they did not rule out that the Islamic State (IS) extremist group could be responsible.

Last week, armed clashes took place in the Sayed Gharib area south of Samarra between the pro-Iran Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi) militia and IS militants after the latter attacked a military base belonging to the PMF.

One PMF fighter was killed and security measures in the area were stepped up.

Also on Thursday night, Iraqi security forces detained an IS militant in the town of Qaim in western Iraq, near the Syrian border.