|
KIRKUK, Iraq, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Sunday foiled two suicide bomb attacks by the Islamic State (IS) militants targeting two Shiite mosques in Iraq's northern city of Kirkuk, a local police source told Xinhua.
In one of the attacks, a suicide bomber tried to enter a Shiite mosque crowded with worshipers in western Kirkuk, some 250 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, but he blew up his explosive vest when the guards stopped him, wounding two guards and two people, the source said on condition of anonymity.
Another suicide bomber aged between 13 and 14 years tried to attack another Shiite mosque in central Kirkuk, but the security forces captured him and defused his explosive vest, the source said.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack in downtown Baghdad, but IS militant group, in most cases, is responsible for such suicide attacks, targeting areas where crowds of people gather, including markets, cafes and mosques across Iraq.
Iraq has witnessed intense violence since the IS took control of parts of its northern and western regions in June 2014.
A report by UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) estimated that 759 Iraqis were killed and 1,207 others wounded in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in July across Iraq.
Many blame the current chronic instability, cycle of violence, and the emergence of extremist groups, such as the IS, on the U.S. that invaded and occupied Iraq in March 2003.
