Bombing, clashes leave 12 police dead in northern Iraq
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Iraqi government forces gather next to their armored vehicles during an operation in Fallujah's southern neighborhood of Shuhada to retake the area from Daesh, June 15, 2016.
At least a dozen Iraqi police officers, including a commander, were killed in a bomb attack as well as clashes with the ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the northern province of Salahuddin, a source said Friday.
According to Press TV, the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the bomb went off in the town of Amirli, located about 180 km north of the capital, Baghdad, the previous night. Seven policemen, including the Turkmen captain, died.
Four other police officers were killed in separate attacks on security checkpoints in the same area.
Additionally, Shelal Abdul, the mayor of Tuz Khurmatu, said a police chief was killed and five policemen were injured when ISIL (Daesh) terrorists carried out a surprise attack on security forces in the city north of Baghdad.
On Friday, Iraqi army forces raised the national flag over the main government compound in Fallujah, symbolizing the recapture of the beleaguered western city from Daesh.
The force met limited resistance from the terrorists, who were fleeing the city.
“The counter-terrorism service and the rapid response forces have retaken the government compound in the center of Fallujah,” said Commander of Fallujah Liberation Operation Lieutenant General Abdulwahab al-Saadi, adding that “Iraqi forces have now liberated 70 percent of the city.”
Federal Police Forces Commander Lieutenant General Raed Shaker Jawdat confirmed the army's advance in Fallujah, which marks a significant step in the nearly four-week-old offensive to retake the city, which has been a stronghold of Daesh.
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