18 Iraqis killed in multiple night-time Jihadist raids

BAGHDAD: Eighteen Iraqis, the majority military personnel, were killed overnight on Friday to Saturday in separate jihadist attacks mainly in the greater Baghdad area, security sources told AFP.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but they are in line with the modus operandi of the Islamic State group, which still has sleeper cells in Iraq despite its territorial defeat in 2017.

One attack targeted troops in Tarmiya, an agricultural suburb 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of the Iraqi capital.

"IS fighters attacked an Iraqi army convoy at night and killed two officers and two soldiers," a security official said, on condition of anonymity.