Attacks around Baghdad kill at least 11

BAGHDAD — Authorities in Iraq say bombings and a shooting have killed at least 11 people in and around the capital, Baghdad.

Police officials say three roadside bombs went off simultaneously Saturday targeting an army convoy just southeast of Baghdad, killing four soldiers and wounding nine.

They say a bomb near an outdoor market killed two people in the town of Youssifiya, just south of Baghdad. In the northeastern suburbs of the capital, police say gunmen killed two people in a drive-by shooting.

In Rashidiya, just north of Baghdad, they say a bomb exploded near a vegetable and fruit market, killing three people and wounding five.

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to journalists.

On Friday, Iraqi troops and Shiite militiamen repelled an attack by the Daesh terror group in western Anbar province but 10 Iraqi soldiers died in the fighting, along with at least 12 militants, officials said.

The militants attacked the government-held town of Khalidiyah by unleashing mortar shells and five suicide car bombers, according to Anbar councilman Athal Al Fahdawi.

After an hours-long battle, the Sunni militants pulled back, leaving behind 12 dead fighters. Some were hiding in houses in nearby Abu Flais village, Fahdawi added.

Police and army officers, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, said at least 10 soldiers were killed.

However, Daesh’s Radio Al Bayan claimed that Daesh militants had seized positions in the Khalidyah area after attacking Iraqi troops and Shiite militias with car bombs.

Iraqi forces, backed by Shiite militias, have been struggling to recapture areas lost to Daesh in the country’s west and north.

In May, the militant group scored a stunning victory when it overran Ramadi in Anbar province, capturing large amounts of ammunition and armoured vehicles from fleeing Iraqi government troops.