Three unknown mеn including two suicide bombers opened fire on a popular cafe in a mainly Shiite town of Balad in northern Iraq, killing at least 12 and injuring 25 more.
As soon as police officers arrived at the scene of the attack two of the attackers detonated their suicide vests.
#BreakingNews: Police said gunmen in northern #Iraqi town of #Balad opened fire on a café overnight, killing at least 12 and wounding 25
— Asharq Al-Awsat Eng (@aawsat_eng) May 13, 2016
Balad is a Shi'a district 💔
— Angel Tyson (@Glittermegangel) May 13, 2016
The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital while the security forces cordoned off the area and carried out raids in search of those perpetrators who may have fled the cafe, according to Iraqi Alsumaria TV network.
The gunmen equipped with machine guns managed to successfully pass several police checkpoints before reaching the cafe, according to a police source. Then they managed to carry out the attack for about 10 minutes despite the area being one of the most heavily secured.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility in the wake the attack.
