A series of Islamic State suicide car bombings targeting a military outpost in Anbar province killed eight soldiers and wounded six Monday, military and security officials said, the latest extremist attacks to hit beleaguered Iraqi forces in the region.
The assault west of Anbar's provincial capital, Ramadi, involved three vehicles, including two fuel trucks, officials said. The outpost housed a joint contingent of army soldiers, policemen and allied Sunni militiamen, they said.
Monday's violence is the latest deadly Islamic State attack in Anbar, where government forces backed by U.S.-led airstrikes have been battling the extremist group for months. Since Friday, at least 75 soldiers and allied Sunni militiamen have been killed. Much of Anbar is under the extremists' control, including Ramadi and the key city of Fallujah.
Late Sunday, the Iraqi military said in a televised statement that its warplanes targeted Islamic State positions in northern and western Iraq, including an extremist meeting in the town of Tel Afar.
In scattered violence Monday in Baghdad, three separate roadside bombings killed seven people and wounded 24, police and hospital officials said.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.
A prominent Shiite cleric, meanwhile, has instructed his followers in Baghdad to join protesters who stage a weekly rally there against corruption.
Muqtada al-Sadr, whose followers battled American troops during the U.S. occupation, has supported the Friday protesters since they began a month ago.
The participation of al-Sadr's followers significantly will increase the size of the Baghdad protests, which have averaged between 7,000 and 10,000 demonstrators. That will turn up more pressure on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's government to accelerate the pace of reforms and prosecute corrupt officials.