Deadly vehicle Bomb Attacks In Eastern Iraq

At least 47 people were killed and almost 100 injured in two bomb attacks on Monday in eastern Iraq, security and medical sources said, underscoring a continued threat from Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) militants in a province previously considered freed of them.

The second took place in the village of Kanaan, where officials said a suicide bomber blew himself up in a residential area, killing seven people and wounding 15.

Security sources and medics at the main hospital in Baquba said at least 20 people were killed there and 45 wounded.

It was not immediately clear how numerous victims were civilians.

The government in Baghdad vowed to apprehend the culprits and better secure the province, where a number of towns were captured by ISIS past year.

IS no longer has fixed positions in the province, but have reverted to their old tactics of planting vehicle bombs and carrying out suicide operations or hit-and-run attacks.

The ISIS extremist group controls northern Iraqi city of Mosul and has been ruling in parts of Iraq and Syria under a self-declared Caliphate.

In a separate incident, in the town of Kanan, 10 people were killed and 15 others injured when a road-side vehicle packed with explosives, exploded at the entrance of a market.

Diyala residents have been clamoring for greater protection from Baghdad following last month’s attack, which targeted Shiites who had gathered to celebrate the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. IS promised to avenge its fighters in a video posted online.