Iraqi forces, militants clash west of Baghdad

Iraqi armed forces have clashed with militants in Baghdad’s western suburb of Abu Ghraib, as violence continues across the Arab country.

According to reports by Iraqi media, the heavy fighting erupted on Sunday after a number of gunmen attacked a military base in the area.

The skirmishes reportedly left two Iraqi soldiers dead and five others injured. A curfew has been imposed on Abu Ghraib following the deadly raid.

The western suburb has been the scene of numerous attacks, which have inflicted heavy damage on the area over the past several years.

The latest raid came a day after nearly 10 people lost their lives and almost three dozen others sustained injuries in a spate of bomb attacks in and around Baghdad.

On Saturday, two civilians died when an improvised explosive device went off near an outdoor market in Abu Ghraib, located some 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of the capital.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq says a total of 849 Iraqis were killed and 1,450 others injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in January.

According to the UN mission, the number of civilian fatalities stood at 490. Violence also claimed the lives of 359 members of the Iraqi security forces. A great portion of the fatalities was recorded in Baghdad, where 299 civilians were killed.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh Takfiri terrorists took control of some parts of the Iraqi territory in June 2014.