A bus transporting prisoners from a military base to Baghdad was attacked by a roadside bomb and gunmen, killing at least 51 prisoners and nine policeman, Reuters reports. The motive of the attack is not known. Militants belonging to the Islamic State most likely carried out the attack.
In June, 69 prisoners being transported to a jail in Baghdad were killed before reaching their destination. However, conflicting reports make it unclear whether the men were killed by militants in an ambush or executed by the police.
A rise in sectarian tensions in Iraq has led to ongoing violence. Additionally, the rise of the extremist Sunni group the Islamic State has contributed immensely to recent bloodshed. The Islamic State took control of large swathes of northern Iraq in June and established an Islamic caliphate. Iraq’s fractured government is struggling to combat the militants who aim to eventually seize Baghdad.
