Five Iraqi fishermen killed in suspected IS attack

Five fishermen were reportedly killed in an Islamic State group attack early on Saturday near Iraq's Therthar lake.
1 min read
23 February, 2019
An official said the fishermen were attacked early on Saturday [AFP / Illustrative image]

An Iraqi security official says five fishermen have been killed in an attack by Islamic State group militants on a camp site near the Therthar lake, 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Baghdad.

Naim Kaoud, head of the Anbar province security council, says the militants attacked the fishermen's site in the early hours of Saturday. Kaoud says three militiamen were wounded in a subsequent firefight.

A federal Iraqi security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of media regulations, confirmed the casualties.

Hundreds of IS fighters have slipped into Iraq from Syria, The Associated Press reported on Friday, to link up with 5,000 to 7,000 militants already in the country. The militants are believed to be behind a string of ambushes, kidnappings and killings in the countryside.

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