Bomb attacks wound 5 Iraqi policemen

Five members of the Iraqi security forces have been injured in separate bomb attacks in the north of the country.

Security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two policemen were wounded on Tuesday when an improvised explosive device struck their patrol vehicle in the city of Kirkuk – situated about 236 kilometers (147 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad.

Law enforcement forces promptly cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into the incident.

A bomb disposal unit was also summoned to the scene. The team discovered another bomb and defused it.

Separately, three policemen were wounded in the explosion of a booby-trapped construction site in Tikrit, located about 140 kilometers (87 miles) northwest of Baghdad.

Bombings and shootings have recently intensified across Iraq.

On Monday, a total of 15 shootings and bomb attacks struck 13 cities and towns across the country. Police and medical sources said nearly two dozen people were killed and over 80 others wounded in the attacks.

On December 24, at least 48 people were killed and over 110 others wounded in attacks targeting both security guards and civilians across Iraq, marking the deadliest day in the country since November 29, when at least 50 people lost their lives.