Alwaght- At Least seven people were killed and 13 were injured in Iraq's northern city of Samarra after Suicide bombers attacked a state-run power station early on Saturday.
At least three gunmen wearing explosive vests attacked the power station around 0300 local time, near the northern city of Samarra, about 100 km north of Baghdad, Reuters reported adding the assailants used grenades to enter the facility.
“I was in my night shift and suddenly heard shooting and blasts. A few minutes later I saw one attacker wearing a military uniform and throwing grenades through the windows,” said Raied Khalid, a worker who was injured by shrapnel.
Security sources said the three gunmen briefly took control of the station, but police managed to regain control after three hours.
Four policemen and three workers were killed in the attack, police and medical sources from a nearby hospital said.
One of the attackers, who was cornered by security forces, detonated his suicide vest near one the power generators, causing a fire.
The two other gunmen were killed, security sources said, either by blowing themselves up or in clashes with the security forces.
Operations at the facility were expected to be suspended briefly, while repairs were under way, electricity officials said.
The attack comes as Muslims mark the first day of the Eid al-Adha feast (Feast of the Sacrifice) marking the obedience of Abraham (PBU) to Allah.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the ISIS terrorist group frequently carries out suicide bombings in Iraq.
Iraqi forces have now forced ISIS out of all its Iraqi territories except the town of Hawija, 300km north of Baghdad, and three pockets of territory near the border with Syria.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the recapture of Tal Afar town and its surrounding areas, weeks after ousting the terorists from Iraq's second city Mosul, bringing all of Nineveh province under government control.
