ISIS Attack Kills Two Soldiers in Iraq's Salahuddin Province

Iraqi security forces inspect the site of an explosion in Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq July 19, 2021. REUTERS/Wissam Al-Okaili
Iraqi security forces inspect the site of an explosion in Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq July 19, 2021. REUTERS/Wissam Al-Okaili
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ISIS Attack Kills Two Soldiers in Iraq's Salahuddin Province

Iraqi security forces inspect the site of an explosion in Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq July 19, 2021. REUTERS/Wissam Al-Okaili
Iraqi security forces inspect the site of an explosion in Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq July 19, 2021. REUTERS/Wissam Al-Okaili

Two Iraqi soldiers have been killed and three others injured in an ISIS attack in Iraq’s northern province of Salahuddin, a police officer said on Wednesday.

“Unidentified gunmen believed to be affiliated with the ISIS terror group attacked the headquarters of the 66th Army Brigade in the Mutaibija area in the northern part of the province,” the source said.

He added that reinforcements were dispatched to the site as ISIS members fled the area.

Iraq declared victory over ISIS in 2017, however, the group continues to launch attacks against army and PMF positions, leaving casualties and causing material damages.

According to security experts, ISIS remains active in Diyala, Kirkuk, and Salahuddin.

Two days ago, an attack took place in a popular market in Sadr City, causing more than 100 deaths and injuries. The Iraqi authorities held the group responsible for the attack.



ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Hamas Officials

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses lawmakers in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem. Monday Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses lawmakers in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem. Monday Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
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ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Hamas Officials

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses lawmakers in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem. Monday Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses lawmakers in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem. Monday Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the war in Gaza and the October 2023 attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory.

The decision turns Netanyahu and the others into internationally wanted suspects and is likely to further isolate them and complicate efforts to negotiate a cease-fire to end the 13-month conflict. But its practical implications could be limited since Israel and its major ally, the United States, are not members of the court and several of the Hamas officials have been subsequently killed in the conflict.
Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have condemned ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s request for warrants as disgraceful and antisemitic.

US President Joe Biden also blasted the prosecutor and expressed support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. Hamas also slammed the request.

But the ICC said Thursday that Israel's acceptance of the court's jurisdiction was not required.

Israel launched its war against Hamas after militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year.

Health officials in the Gaza Strip said Thursday the death toll from the 13-month-old war has surpassed 44,000.

The Israeli offensive has also caused heavy destruction across wide areas of the coastal territory and displaced 90% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people.