At least 12 civilians killed in Daesh attack in Diyala, Iraq

 Twelve civilians were killed in an attack by Daesh/ISIS terrorists in Iraq’s eastern Diyala province on Tuesday, a medical source said.

The source told Anadolu Agency that 15 others were injured.

Earlier Tuesday a police officer told Anadolu Agency that a group of Daesh/ISIS terrorists attacked Diyala’s village of Al-Rashad with sniper rifles and machine guns.

First Lt. Shaalan al-Kameli said that the terrorists opened fire on residents of the village, adding that they escaped after the arrival of an Iraqi military force.

In recent months, Daesh/ISIS terrorists have escalated their attacks, especially in the area between Kirkuk, Salahuddin, and Diyala, known as the Triangle of Death.

In 2017, Iraq declared victory over Daesh/ISIS by reclaiming all territories the terrorist group controlled since the summer of 2014, about one-third of the country’s territory.

The group, however, still maintains sleeper cells in large areas of Iraq and occasionally launches attacks.

* Writing by Bassel Barakat in Ankara