25 securitymen killed near Baghdad in clashes

Baghdad, June 29 (IANS) A total of 25 security members were killed and some 22 wounded in clashes between Iraqi forces and militants here Saturday, a police source said.

Fierce clashes took place during the day near the towns of Jurf al-Sakhar, some 50 km from Baghdad, and Mahmoudiyah, 30 km from Baghdad, as well as the town of al-Rasheed, between security forces and Sunni militants, including linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL), an al Qaeda offshoot, Xinhua quoted a source from Babil province as saying.

Iraq has been witnessing its worst security conditions that began more than two weeks ago when armed Sunni insurgents, spearheaded by the al Qaeda splinter group ISIL, launched a surprise offensive that led to the debacle of Iraqi security forces.