Nine killed in twin suicide bombings in Iraq

5 Dariya News

Baghdad 09-Jun-2015

At least nine security personnel were killed and over 15 wounded on Tuesday when two suicide bombers attacked a local government building in a town in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial security source said.The attack occurred at noon when a suicide bomber blew up his explosive vest at the entrance of the government building in the town of Ameriyat al-Fallujah, some 40 km west of Iraq's capital Baghdad, the source told Xinhua news agency.

More unknown gunmen opened fire immediately after the blast, paving the way for a second suicide bomber to enter the building and blow himself up, the source said.Shakir Mahmoud al-Eisawi, the town's mayor, was among the wounded, the source added.The toll could rise as many civilians were felled by the blasts and the gunfire, the source added.

Authorities in the town imposed a curfew as security forces and government-backed Sahwa paramilitary fighters cordoned off the scene and many other security personnel were deployed in the town, the source said.Earlier, Ameriyat al-Fallujah was repeatedly attacked by the Islamic State (IS) militants but their attacks were all repelled by security forces and allied militias.The town is the last major government redoubt ahead of Baghdad, and is located some 60 km north of the Shia holy city of Karbala, some 108 km south of Baghdad.If the militants seize Ameriyat al-Fallujah, they will be closer to the Iraqi capital and will also be able to move closer to Karbala and pound these places with artillery and mortars.