1st LD: 39 killed in suicide bombings at Iraqi army HQ in Anbar

Two suicide bombers attacked an Iraqi army headquarters in Iraq's western province of Anbar, leaving 39 security members killed, including a senior general, a provincial security source said on Tuesday.

The blast occurred when two suicide bombers wearing explosive vests detonated themselves at the headquarters near Haditha Dam, some 200 km northwest of Baghdad, while clashes erupted between the soldiers and other militants from the Islamic State (IS) group, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The attacks killed Brigadier General Ali Aboud, Chief of Staff of Jazeera and Badiyah Operations Command, responsible for the security in Anbar province, and Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim Farhan, in addition to 37 soldiers who either killed by the blasts or by the clashes with IS militants, the source said.

Iraqi security forces have been fighting for months to retake control of key cities and towns in Anbar, Iraq's largest province, from IS militants, who previously seized most of Anbar and tried to advance toward Baghdad. Endit