Iraqi security officials said gunmen from the Islamic State extremist organisation stormed an army barracks in a mountainous area north of Baghdad early Friday, killing 11 troops as they slept.
The incident took place in the Al-Azim district, a large open area north of Baqouba in Diyala province, according to officials. The details of the attack were not immediately clear, but according to two officials who talked to The Associated Press, terrorists from the Islamic State group came into the barracks at 3 a.m. local time, and killed the soldiers.
Because they were not authorised to make public statements, the officials talked on the condition of anonymity.
The bold strike, which took place more than 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Baghdad, was one of the worst in recent months against the Iraqi military.
In 2017, the Islamic State was mostly defeated in the country, while it remains active in several regions through sleeper cellsSunni Muslim militants have continued to attack security forces, power stations, and other infrastructure.
IS terrorists using machine guns attacked a largely Shiite village in Diyala province in October, killing 11 residents and injuring many more. Officials at the time reported the attack took place after terrorists kidnapped people and were not paid their ransom demands
