Planted bomb explodes in Dauda area, damaging vehicle

SALAH AL-DIN — A planted bomb exploded in the Dauda area of Tuz Khurmatu district, Salah Al-Din governorate, damaging a civilian’s vehicle and causing minor injuries, officials said.

The explosion occurred between the villages of Qala and Shoraw, within the district’s administrative boundaries. Wahab Ahmed, director of Zinana subdistrict, told 964media that the civilian, a resident of Tuz Khurmatu, was on his way to his farmland when the explosive device detonated near his Toyota Hilux.

“The civilian sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital, while his car suffered extensive damage,” Ahmed said.

According to Ahmed, the bomb was not newly planted but was an unexploded ordnance—a remnant of earlier conflicts. The area where the device exploded lies in a security gap near former ISIS militant positions.

The Dauda area encompasses more than 40 villages in Tuz Khurmatu district and is situated within a security gap between Peshmerga and Iraqi Army forces. Although Iraq declared ISIS defeated in 2017, remnants of the group continue to launch attacks in remote and disputed regions. In 2024 alone, Iraqi authorities reported killing more than 100 ISIS militants, including several senior leaders, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts.