Four dead in north Iraq attack blamed on IS jihadists

BAGHDAD: Four people, including members of Iraq’s security forces, were killed on Saturday in an attack by Islamic State group jihadists near the northern city of Mosul, officials said.

The attack occurred at night in the Makhmur region south of Mosul, the former stronghold of the IS jihadists, a security official said on condition of anonymity.

It left four people dead, including the mayor of the hamlet, at least one police officer and a member of the pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi militia, the official added.

Jihadists from "Daesh" had targeted a Hashed position at around 2:00 am (2300 GMT), Salih al-Jiburi, an official from a nearby village, said, using the Arabic acronym for IS. They shelled and fired small arms during the attack, said Jiburi, who put the toll at four dead, including the mayor and militia fighter.