Five people were killed in an attack on an army base in southern Iraq, police said Friday, as the country prepares for parliamentary elections later this month.
Insurgents fired rockets overnight on the base in the city of Hilla, killing two soldiers and wounding 14. Ensuing clashes left three of the assailants dead. No arrests were reported.
Iraq will hold a parliamentary election on April 30, and the next chamber will elected a prime minister and a president.
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Outgoing Prime Minister Nuri al—Maliki is seeking a third term as his Shiite—led government faces increasing opposition from Sunni—dominated provinces.
Sunnis complain that the Shiite—led government discriminates against them.
Iraq has seen almost daily attacks in recent months, believed to have been carried out by Sunni militants targeting security personnel and the Shiite majority.
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Some 592 Iraqis were killed in attacks in March, according to the United Nations.
Around 8,868 people were estimated to have been killed in 2013, Iraq’s highest annual death toll in five years.
# dpa NOTEBOOK * * * * The following information is not for publication ## dpa Contacts — Reporting by: Kadhem al—Attabi — Editing by: Joseph Nasr Tel: +49 30 2852 31472; > dpa str raf jln 040948 GMT Apr 14