SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said on Wednesday the crime carried out by Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Diyala province would not “go unpunished”.
ISIS militants attacked Hawasha village near the town of Miqdadiya in Diyala province on Tuesday night, killing at least 11 people including a woman.
Iraq’s Joint Operation Command said the attack targeted “defenseless civilians”.
“We stand firm on our pledge that we will continue to chase terrorists inside and outside Iraq,” Kadhimi said in a tweet early on Wednesday.
“The Miqdadiya crime will not go unpunished,” he added, saying their “heinous crimes strengthen our determination to uproot them from mesopotamia.”
Reuters cited police as saying that the gunmen used several vehicles and semi-automatic guns in their attack.
Iraqi President Barham Salih said the attack was a “despicable attempt” to destabilize the country.
Separately, Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi called on the political forces to “give priority to Iraq’s interests” following the attack.
In 2017 Baghdad announced victory over Islamic State (ISIS), and attacks in Iraqi cities have since become much rarer, although troops continue to fight ISIS sleeper cells in mountainous and desert areas.
The militants still mount deadly operations, mostly at night and in remote areas.
*This story was updated at 09:58 a.m. EBL time
