Suicide car bomb attack kills 15 Iraqi soldiers in besieged Ramadi

Suicide car bomb attacks killed 15 members of Iraqi security forces Sunday in Ramadi, which now is largely held by the Islamic State group, authorities said.

Police and army officials said four nearly simultaneous bombings targeted police officers defending the Malaab district in southern Ramadi, killing 10 and wounding 15. Among the dead was Colonel Muthana al-Jabri, the chief of Malaab police station, they said.

Later on, police said three suicide bombers drove their explosive-laden cars into the gate of the Anbar Operation Command, the military headquarters for the province, killing five soldiers and wounding 12.

Fierce clashes erupted between security forces and Islamic State militants following the attacks. Subsequently, Islamic State militants seized the Malaab area after government forces withdrew.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorized to talk to journalists.

Meanwhile, Iraqi warplanes launched airstrikes on Islamic State positions inside Ramadi on Sunday, the Iraqi Defence Ministry said, without elaborating.

Last week, the militants swept through Ramadi, seizing the main government headquarters and other key parts of the city. It marked a major setback for the Iraqi government’s efforts to drive the militants out of areas they seized last year.