Two shepherds killed by bomb in Anbar’s Rawa

ANBAR — Two shepherds were killed Friday when a bomb believed to have been planted by Islamic State militants exploded in Rawa in Iraq’s western Anbar governorate, a security source told 964media.

The source said the two men, both from the al-Jaghayfa tribe, were tending sheep when the device detonated. They were identified as Rajab Bunyan al-Jaghayfi and Ahmed Mawaad al-Jaghayfi, and were taken to al-Obeidi Hospital but died of their injuries. Security forces have opened an investigation.

Iraq continues to report deaths from bombs, landmines and unexploded ordnance left by past conflicts, with 964media reporting casualties among children, shepherds and civilians in Diyala, Basra, Dhi Qar, Sulaymaniyah, Erbil and Duhok governorates in recent months. In February, a 22-year-old shepherd was seriously wounded by an improvised explosive device near Tuz Khurmatu.

The Islamic State, which once controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria, was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017, but remnants continue intermittent attacks in remote desert and rural areas, including parts of Anbar.