Suicide bombers attack town outside Baghdad, kill 6 people

By AP - May 14,2016 - Last updated at May 14,2016

An Iraqi boy walks past the bloodstains and debris at a café, that was popular with local fans of Spain's Real Madrid football club, in the Balad area, north of the capital Baghdad, on Saturday, a day after a deadly raid claimed by Daesh militants. At least 16 people were killed and 30 wounded, including several members of the security forces, in the attack in the town of Balad and the ensuing chase, officials said (AFP photo)

BAGHDAD — More than a dozen suicide bombers attacked a residential and government complex outside Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least six people, an official said.

The police chief of the town of Amiriyat Fallujah, Col. Ali Al Issawi, said at least 14 suicide attackers broke into the complex at dawn. In addition to homes, the complex also includes a police station and several government offices.

Issawi said five of the attackers blew up themselves while clashing with security forces, while others holed up inside the buildings, and were later killed. He added that five troops and one civilian were killed, while another 18 people were wounded.

The town is located a few kilometres south of Fallujah, the main Daesh-stronghold in Anbar province, about 65 kilometres west of Baghdad.

Daesh still controls key areas in northern and western Iraq, including the second-largest city, Mosul. The extremist group has declared a “caliphate” on the territory it holds in Iraq and Syria.

Iraqi troops, backed by paramilitary militias and US air strikes, have recaptured a number of cities and towns in recent months. But Daesh has responded with a string of deadly bombings far from the front lines in a campaign that Iraqi officials say is an attempt to distract from their battlefield losses.

More than 100 people have been killed in a string of bombings, mainly in Baghdad, since Wednesday.

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