IS attacks Baghdad and holy city of Samarra

The Islamic State group breached tight security in Baghdad and the holy Shia city of Samarra in two attacks believed to have killed dozens of people.

An IS suicide bomber drove a car laden with explosives into a checkpoint in the city of Samarra, 100km north of Baghdad, killing 23 members of the Shia Popular Mobilisation militia and injuring at least 27, a local security source told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

"After the bombing, IS fighters attacked survivors," the source added.

The Popular Mobilisation militia is deployed in Samarra reportedly alongside Iranian Revolutionary Guards, to protect Shia religious shrines from IS attacks.

In a second attack, IS fighters breached Baghdad's western gates, fighting with local security forces and Popular Mobilisation fighters before withdrawing. The number of casualties is unknown.

Large numbers of Iraqi regular soldiers were deployed to the area to repel the attack, reports said.

"IS attacked the area of Ibrahim bin Ali from the direction of al-Shaala city west of Baghdad," a security source told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.