IS ambush kills 10 Iraqi soldiers: commanders

IS members armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers attacked civilian and military vehicles near Rutba

HABBANIYAH, IRAQ: Islamic State group fighters disguised as soldiers ambushed a government convoy in a remote desert region of western Iraq on Sunday, killing 10 members of the security forces, commanders said.

"Da’ish (IS) members armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers attacked civilian and military vehicles carrying soldiers near Rutba," an army lieutenant colonel said.

"They killed at least 10 and wounded 20," he told AFP. Other officials confirmed the attack and the casualty toll.

Rutba lies about 390 kilometres west of Baghdad in the vast province of Anbar and is the last main town on the road to the border with Jordan.



Border guards and other security forces posted in the area have been routinely attacked by IS in recent months.

The army officer said the victims of the attack were members of the border guard, the Anbar police and the army.

"The Daesh members were wearing military uniforms and driving military vehicles. They set up a rogue checkpoint on the main road near Rutba," a border guard commander said.

He said five of the 10 killed in the ambush were border guards.

The army lieutenant colonel said the jihadists took advantage of a sandstorm to carry out their attack.

According to the mayor of Rutba, Imad al-Dulaimi, the ambush was carried out at around 6:00 pm (1500 GMT). He added that three more members of the security forces were missing.