Security forces early Thursday ended an hours-long siege at a mall in the northern city of Kirkuk but not before militants killed nine people, security officials and medics said.
The attack Wednesday on the mall in the oil rich ethnic tinderbox city, which involved a car bomb and would-be suicide bombers, came amid a surge in unrest that has claimed more than 6,200 lives this year.
Attacks by militants were also launched Wednesday in Baghdad, Mosul, Tikrit and Fallujah, but the assault on the Jawaher Mall in Kirkuk was the deadliest.
A car bomb went off early afternoon in front of a branch of police intelligence, and was swiftly followed by a firefight between security forces and militants who were ostensibly trying to take over the security station.
As the clashes continued, gunmen, some of them wearing suicide vests, stormed the adjacent mall, took shoppers hostage and moved up the five-storey complex to the roof, from where they opened fire on security personnel who attempted to enter.
At around midnight, security forces finally stormed the mall, which contains more than 100 shops including stores specialising in women's fashion and cosmetics, as well as men's clothing and other goods.
They managed to release the 11 hostages unharmed, but security and medical officials said nine people were killed in the attack, including eight members of the security forces, while at least five militants were also shot dead.
The mall, which is popular with middle-class residents of the northern oil hub, lies in a neighbourhood populated mostly by ethnic Turkmen.
Kirkuk has a mixed population of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen.
It lies at the centre of a swathe of territory stretching from Iraq's eastern border with Iran to its western frontier with Syria that Kurdish leaders want to incorporate into their autonomous region in the north over strenuous objections from the central government in Baghdad.
Militants often exploit poor communication between the Iraqi army and Kurdish security forces to carry out attacks in the city.
Attacks in Baghdad, Mosul, Fallujah and near Tikrit, killed three more people on Wednesday, officials said.
Officials have blamed the upsurge in violence to a resurgent Al-Qaeda emboldened by the civil war in neighbouring Syria, but the government has itself faced criticism for not doing enough to address the concerns of Iraq's disaffected Sunni Arab minority ahead of April elections.
Despite a near-ubiquitous security force presence in major cities nationwide, attacks have hit targets ranging from cafes and football grounds to military checkpoints and government vehicles, with more than 6,200 people killed so far this year, according to an AFP tally.
The violence has forced the authorities to appeal for international help in combatting militancy.
AFP
Thu Dec 05 2013
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Rabu, 8 Mei 2024.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Mohon secara rasmi jika mahu perkongsian strategik dengan MOT, JPJ - Loke
MOT tidak menolak perkongsian strategik dengan mana-mana pihak ketiga atau swasta untuk melakukan perkhidmatan bagi pihak agensi di bawah kementerian itu.
Serang Safiq Rahim: Kerajaan Johor yakin kewibawaan PDRM siasat, kesan pelaku
Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi sedih dan terkejut dengan apa yang berlaku, namun yakin dengan keupayaan PDRM yang akan menyiasat perkara tersebut.
Pemandu e-hailing cedera dalam kejadian pokok tumbang terima faedah Perkeso
Pemandu e-hailing yang cedera dalam kejadian itu menerima bayaran faedah daripada Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (Perkeso).
Bomba Kelantan rekod lebih 1,300 kes kebakaran terbuka
Sebanyak 1,379 kes kebakaran terbuka melibatkan hutan, kebun, belukar dan sampah direkodkan di Kelantan bermula Januari hingga Isnin lepas (6 Mei).
Piala Sumbangsih: Enggan kompromi soal keselamatan, Selangor FC nekad ‘tidak hadir’
Selangor FC berkata, keselamatan pasukan adalah perkara paling utama dan mereka memandang serius akan segala bentuk keganasan dan ancaman.
Malaysia dijangka tarik lebih banyak aliran masuk asing daripada pewarisan harta di Asia bernilai AS$1.9 trilion - SC
Malaysia dijangka dapat menarik lebih banyak aliran masuk asing dengan jangkaan pewarisan harta yang lebih besar daripada golongan berusia kepada generasi lebih muda di Asia.
KPN tidak cadang wujud talian 24 jam baharu tangani isu hina agama selain Islam
Kementerian Perpaduan Negara (KPN) tidak bercadang untuk mewujudkan satu talian 24 jam baharu mengendalikan aduan berkaitan penghinaan terhadap mana-mana agama selain agama Islam.
Masyarakat perlu bangkit, beri tekanan kepada Israel - Nurul Izzah
Semua lapisan masyarakat harus bangkit dan memberi tekanan kepada Israel serta sekutunya untuk berhenti melakukan perkara yang menambah kesengsaraan kepada warga Gaza.
Iraq luluskan RUU anti-LGBTQ
PARLIMEN Iraq pada Sabtu meluluskan rang undang-undang (RUU) yang menjenayahkan hubungan sejenis.
Bintang TikTok Iraq, Umm Fahad ditembak mati di luar rumah
Pihak berkuasa Iraq umum penubuhan "jawatankuasa siasatan khas- untuk menjejaki pembunuh yang tidak dikenali itu.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Pasangan pengantin Iraq masih trauma, akui jiwa mati selepas insiden kebakaran maut
Majlis perkahwinan pada malam Selasa lalu itu dihadiri 900 tetamu, dengan kebakaran bermula kira-kira jam 10.45 malam.
Proton X90 tembusi pasaran Mauritius, Afrika Selatan dan Brunei
Kenderaan tenaga baharu pertama Proton Holdings Bhd, X90 mencatat kemunculan pertama di Mauritius, Afrika Selatan dan Brunei.
Iraq isytihar perintah berkurung di Kirkuk selepas pertempuran
Perdana Menteri Iraq Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani mengarahkan perintah berkurung dan memulakan operasi mencari di kawasan rusuhan.
3 jalani hukuman gantung di Iraq terlibat pengeboman Daesh ragut 300 nyawa
Perdana Menteri Iraq Mohammed al-Soudani menyifatkan hukuman itu "adil" semasa pertemuan dengan keluarga mangsa.
Zambry mulakan lawatan rasmi pertama ke Iraq mulai Rabu
Zambry dijangka mengadakan kunjungan hormat ke atas pemimpin Iraq dan pertemuan dua hala dengan Fuad.
NATO peluas peranannya sebagai penasihat di Iraq
NATO sedang meluaskan misinya untuk menyokong pasukan keselamatan di Iraq, menurut pakatan pertahanan Barat yang dianggotai 31 negara itu pada Khamis.
Harta bekas Menteri Minyak Iraq dirampas kerana dakwaan rasuah
Beliau didapati menyalah guna kedudukan dan menerima rasuah daripada beberapa pelabur yang mempunyai kontrak dengan Kementerian Minyak.