5 policemen killed in 3 suicide bomb attacks in Iraq's Anbar

Five policemen were killed and 14 others wounded on Saturday in three suicide bomb attacks by Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial security source told Xinhua.

Two policemen were killed and six others wounded when an IS suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden car into a security checkpoint manned by policemen and paramilitary Sunni tribal fighters in Albu Haiyat area near the town of al-Baghdadi, some 190 km northwest of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, a suicide car bomber tried to attack the positions of the security forces in Barwana area near the town of Haditha, some 10 km northwest of al-Baghdadi, but the U.S.-led coalition warplanes destroyed the car bomb and the killed suicide bomber before reaching his target, the source said.

Also in the province, another IS suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest blew himself up when a police force stormed a house, where he was hiding, in the town of Ameriyat al-Fallujah, some 40 km west of Baghdad, leaving three policemen, including an officer, killed and eight others wounded, the source added.

In earlier reports, Ameriyat al-Fallujah was the scene of heavy clashes early in the morning, when the security forces and allied paramilitary Sunni tribal units foiled the attack of nine suicide bombers, who tried to infiltrate into the town, and killed them all at the edge of the town.

Iraqi security forces and allied units have been battling IS militants for retaking large territories in northern and western Iraq that was seized by the IS since June 2014.

(APD)