By Suleiman al-Qubeisi
ANBAR, Iraq (AA) – Three Iraqi police officers, including a unit commander, were killed late Wednesday in a suicide attack in the western Anbar province that local police officials have attributed to the Daesh terrorist group.
“A police force backed by the Hashd al-Shaabi [a pro-government Shia militia group] was conducting an inspection late Wednesday… east of the town of Ar-Ruthba [in Anbar],” Police Captain Ahmed al-Deleimi told Anadolu Agency on Thursday.
According to al-Deleimi, the group was attacked by a suicide car-bomber, resulting in the death of Police Colonel Qassem Hussein al-Ekeidi and two other officers.
In a related development, Iraqi Army Major-General Ismail al-Mahalawi, operational commander in Anbar province, said a U.S.-led international coalition had carried out airstrikes targeting Daesh strongholds in Anbar’s Khalidiya Island and the Albu Ali al-Jassim area (located east and north of Ramadi respectively), killing eight Daesh terrorists and destroying 25 missile batteries.
Since 2014, when Daesh overran vast swathes of Iraq and Syria, the U.S. has led an international coalition — that includes more than 60 countries — against the terrorist group.
