Iraqi authorities: “All ISIS gunmen are dead after Baghdad shooting rampage”

Iraqi security officials have said that the situation in northern Baghdad had become under control after a rampage of fire shooting left a number of civilians dead and was blamed by Islamic State militants.

The Baghdad Operations chief, Jalil al-Rubaie, told Alsumaria News that “the security situation in Tarimiya has become secure and under control”, adding that “what happened yesterday in the area was an act of retaliation from Daesh (Islamic State)”.

According to Rubaie, “Baghdad Operations intelligence services have imposed their control”, adding that “all terrorist elements have been neutralized”.

The official denied media reports that IS militants were heavily present in the precinct.

Security sources were quoted saying late Tuesday that an armed group of Daesh opened fire indiscriminately in Tarimiya, killing seven civilians and wounding 13 others.

The Iraqi government said in December it regained control over all territories occupied by Daesh since 2014. But the group has launched a number of deadly attacks against security and civilians since then.

A total of 104 Iraqi civilians and policemen were killed, while 177 others were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in March, according to casualty figures by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

As many as 3,298 civilians were killed and 4,781 others were wounded in 2017, excluding Anbar civilian casualty figures for November and December, which are not available, UNAMI said in a report in December.

Source: Iraqi News