Jihadists seize hostages at campus in Iraq`s Ramadi
Jihadists took staff and students hostage at a university campus in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, where security forces have battled anti-government fighters for months, police said.
|Last Updated: Jun 07, 2014, 04:29 PM IST|Source: AFP
Ramadi: Jihadists took staff and students hostage on Saturday at a university campus in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, where security forces have battled anti-government fighters for months, police said.
The attack is the third major operation by militants in three days, following heavy fighting and suicide bombings in northern Iraq yesterday and a major assault on the city of Samarra on Thursday.
The militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group infiltrated the university from the nearby Al-Tasha area, killed its guards, and blew up the bridge leading to its main gate, police said.
A journalist said that security forces have cordoned off the campus.
The attack came a day after violence, including heavy fighting between militants and security forces and twin suicide bombings targeting a minority group, killed at least 36 people in the northern province of Nineveh.
And yesterday, militants seized multiple areas of Samarra in a major assault that was only repelled after house-to-house fighting and helicopter strikes.
Violence is running at its highest levels since 2006-2007, when tens of thousands were killed in sectarian conflict between Iraq`s Shi`ite majority and Sunni Arab minority.
Officials blame external factors for the rise in bloodshed, particularly the civil war in neighbouring Syria.
But analysts say wide spread Sunni Arab anger with the Shi`ite-led government has also been a major factor.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.