3 soldiers killed in suicide attack at Iraq air base

A group of Islamic State suicide bombers has attacked a major military base in Iraq’s Anbar province, killing three Iraqi soldiers, officers said.

An Iraqi military commander, Major General Ali Ibrahim Daboun, said that four suicide bombers infiltrated the al-Asad military base Saturday morning.

He said that they were of various nationalities and they were killed by Iraqi security forces. Daboun did not specify any casualties among army ranks.

Al-Asad air base, about 180 kilometers northwest of Baghdad in Anbar province, is one of the largest military installations in Iraq, housing hundreds of foreign military advisers.

Friday night, a suicide bomb blast killed 30 people and wounded more than 80 others.

Iraqi officials said that the suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt on an athletic field, 40 kilometers south of the capital, Baghdad.

The French news agency, AFP, reports the explosion happened when officials were handing out trophies to players after a local football (soccer) tournament.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack.