Iraq: Militants attack army killing 15 troops in northern Iraq
Militants in Iraq attacked military barracks in a remote area in the country’s north and killed 15 troops overnight, officials said Tuesday, the latest blow to the government’s efforts to achieve stability.
According to two police officials, an unknown number of gunmen staged the assault on the barracks in Ayn al-Jahish village outside the northern city of Mosul late on Monday.
The troops are in charge of protecting an oil pipeline that sends Iraqi crude oil to international markets and guard a nearby highway. Attacks on this pipeline are common in that area near Mosul, a former insurgent stronghold located about 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad.
Eight of the soldiers were beheaded during the attack while the rest were killed by gunfire, a medical official said. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.