Iraqi commander among seven killed in Islamic State ambush

The commander of the fourth division of the Federal Police, Major General Ali al-Lami, and Brigadier Commander Mohammed Allawi were among those killed in the attack north of Samarra, security sources in Saladin told The New Arab's Arabic-language outlet.

Islamic State opened fire on the generals when they arrived in the area for a reconnaissance mission, Reuters reported.

Interior Minister Yassin al-Yasiri said Major General Lami was killed in an Islamic State attack, without giving further details.

The attack, which killed a high ranking officer, is the first of its kind since the defeat of Islamic State in Iraq at the end of 2017.

A member of Saladin's provincial parliament, Mohamed Karim, told The New Arab that IS had exploited security forces' preoccupation with anti-government protests to launch their attack.

"We have said in the past that Iraq's borders are open, and that this poses internal and external risks," he said.

Read also: Averting an Islamic State resurgence in Iraq and Syria

Iraqi media also reported that two security personnel were killed and three others were wounded in IS attacks on security points in the Allas oilfields in Saladin province Monday.

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