Iraqi troops kill 14 militants, arrest 10 others in Mosul

At least 14 armed militants have been killed in clashes with Iraqi troops in the northern city of Mosul, amid a fresh spate of violence in the country.

The clashes erupted on Saturday when Iraqi troops were conducting search operations in the area.

Iraqi police said they also arrested 10 people who were wanted on charges of terrorism.

On Friday, nine Iraqi police were killed and seven others were injured in clashes with armed militants in Mosul.

Earlier in the day, seven people were also killed after a car bomb exploded outside a Sunni mosque in Rashidiyah, north of Baghdad, as worshippers left the mosque following the Friday Prayers. Thirteen people were also injured in the attack.

On Thursday, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said that April 2013 was Iraq’s deadliest month since June 2008, with a total of 712 people killed and 1,633 wounded in bomb attacks and other forms of violence.

Almost 600 of the victims are reported to be civilians and the rest were members of Iraqi security forces.

The mission also said that Baghdad was the worst affected governorate with a total of 211 killed and 486 injured.