Militants attempted to take over a village in Diyala province but, so far, have failed to do so. This would be the second location in Diyala to suffer a prolonged siege against it at the hands of DAASH/ISIS militants. Baghdad is bookended by Diyala and Anbar provinces, so the fall of Diyala province would be a great coup for militants working their way toward the capital. At least 35 people were killed, almost all of them militants, and 53 more were wounded today.
In Anbar:
In Falluja, one of the protest organizers, Sheikh Mohammed Fayyad, said that weekly prayers would be held in separate locations today to thwart shelling attacks by the government. Among his demands was an end to the "indiscriminate" artillery fire that has killed many civilians in recent weeks. Mortars did wound 10 people today.
In Ramadi, seven security members were wounded when gunmen attacked a joint checkpoint.
Twenty militants were killed in al-Sajar.
Elsewhere:
Ten militants were killed in Mukhisa when army troops and local tribesmen repelled an attack. At least 20 civilians and security members were wounded.
The provincial governor believes militants are hoping to stage a takeover of the village as has occurred in Anbar province and, briefly, in the Diyala town of Buhriz. The former provincial governor decried the cutting off of water supplies to Mukhisa by the militants. The Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on Human Rights also expressed concern.
Similar militant activity appears to be occurring in Qara Tapa, but details are scant.
In Baghdad, a blast in a commercial street in Amin left three dead and five wounded.
Gunmen wounded an election candidate in Tikrit. Security forces killed a gunman.
The burned body of a businessman was found on a road near al-Hay.
Eight people were wounded in two blasts in Tuz Khormato. The first bomb drew policemen to the scene.
In Muqdadiya, a roadside bomb targeting the police chief’s convoy wounded two police escorts.
