At least 31 people have died in a string of attacks in northern Iraq, which a local official said were carried out by the "Islamic State." There are signs of IS returning to insurgency tactics as it loses territory.
Image: Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani
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The northern Iraqi city of Tikrit, located about 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Baghdad, was targeted in a series of five suicide attacks overnight into Wednesday.
A Salahuddin provincial council member, Ahmed al-Karim, said the bombers targeted a police patrol on foot and broke into a police officer's house in Tikrit's al-Zihoor neighborhood. He said the self-styled "Islamic State" was behind the attacks.
Security forces killed three of the bombers in the ensuing gunfight while two others detonated their explosives. Ten policemen were among the 31 dead. Dozens of others were injured.
Distraction from Mosul
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombings, but 'Islamic' State (IS) militants have carried out scores of similar attacks in recent months.
The bombings have been widely seen as an attempt by the Islamists to distract attention from the ongoing US-led international campaign to drive the Sunni extremist group from Mosul.
While Iraqi forces drove out IS militants from Tikrit in April 2015, Mosul is regarded as IS' last key stronghold in Iraq.
Return to insurgent roots
IS seized Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, in mid-2014. However, the eastern part of the city, which is separated by the Tigris river from the west, was liberated from the Islamist militants in January.
As the Islamist militants continue to lose more territory in both Iraq and neighboring Syria, Iraqi and US-led coalition officials have repeatedly warned that after Mosul, IS will likely return to its insurgent roots.
Tikrit is a symbolically and strategically important Iraqi city. Saddam Hussein's hometown, it lies on the main road north out of Baghdad towards Mosul, roughly halfway between the two cities.
ksb/msh (AFP, Reuters, dpa)
What is the 'Islamic State'?
IS has gone from an obscure al-Qaida splinter group to a global phenomenon. DW takes a look at the defining aspects of the jihadi group — from its "caliphate" to its tactics.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Al-Furqan
Where did it come from?
The "Islamic State" (IS) — also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh — is an al-Qaida splinter group with a militant Sunni Islamist ideology. It emerged in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their goal is to create a worldwide "caliphate." It gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 after a blitzkrieg military campaign that resulted in the capture of Mosul.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Where does it operate?
IS is believed to be operational in more than a dozen countries across the world. It controls territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria at the height of its expansion in 2014.
Who is fighting back?
The US leads an international coalition of more than 50 countries, including several Arab nations. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, which all support the Syrian government, also fight IS. Regional forces such as the Kurdish peshmerga (above) and US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, fight IS on the ground. The Iraqi army and militia have pushed IS from large parts of the country.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/H. Huseyin
How does it fund itself?
One of IS' main sources of income has been oil and gas. At one point, it controlled an estimated one-third of Syria's oil production. However, US-led airstrikes deliberately targeted oil resources and the Syrian government as well as US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters have retaken most oil wells. Other means of income include taxes, ransom, selling looted antiquities and extortion.
Image: Getty Images/J. Moore
Where does it carry out attacks?
IS has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. The militant group has targeted capitals across the EU, including Berlin, Brussels and Paris. IS leaders have encouraged so-called "lone wolf" attacks, whereby individuals who support IS carry out terrorist acts without the direct involvement of the group.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Spingler
What other tactics does it use?
The group uses various tactics to expand its power. IS fighters have looted and destroyed historical artifacts in Syria and Iraq in an attempt at "cultural cleansing." The group has also enslaved thousands of women from religious minority groups, including Yazidis. IS also uses a sophisticated social network to distribute propaganda and recruit sympathizers.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
How has it impacted the region?
IS has further exacerbated the ongoing Syrian conflict. Millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes, many traveling to Europe in pursuit of refuge. Although it has lost all of its strongholds, the militant group has left extraordinary destruction in its wake. Areas affected by the militant group's rule will likely take years to rebuild.
