ISIS Kills 11, Injures 6 in Attack on Iraqi Shiite Village

Islamic State gunmen attacked al-Hawasha, a Shiite Iraqi village in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 11 civilians and wounding six others, according to the country’s security forces. According to The Associated Press, two officials said Islamic State fighters had kidnapped two villagers earlier and demanded ransom for their return. When the ransom was not met, ISIS forces raided the village, attacking with semi-automatic guns and several vehicles. President Barham Salih condemned the attack on Twitter, calling it a “despicable attempt to destabilize” Iraq. He called on the country to increase security and “not underestimate the threat of ISIL.” ISIS is considered largely defeated in Iraq, but a UN report published early this year estimated that about 10,000 fighters remained active across Iraq and Syria.