Bomb attack kills nine in Iraq

At least nine Iraqi policemen were killed after a bomb struck their convoy in Northern Iraq.

The blast took place near the village of Safra which lies about 30 km (20 miles) southwest of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, about 293km (182 miles) from the capital Baghdad on Sunday.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has ordered a hunt for the “terrorist elements” who carried out the attack, dispatching the federal police commander to the area for further investigation, his office said in a statement.

Alao Read:US Envoy Disturbed By Iraq Unrest

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but officials blame the Islamic State group.

Iraqi police officers said Islamic State militants were involved in the attack, using roadside bombs to target the police force which was patrolling the area.

Iraq declared victory over the group, which once held large swathes of the country, in December 2017.

Despite the defeat of the Islamic State militant group in 2017, remnants of the group switched to hit-and-run attacks against government forces in different parts of Iraq.

Reuters/Zainab Sa’id