Child suicide bomber arrested in Iraq was 'kidnapped by masked men' before attempted attack
The boy was displaced from Isis-held city of Mosul and arrived in Kirkuk a week ago
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A would-be suicide bomber thought to be as young as 12 has told Iraqi police he was kidnapped by masked men who placed an explosive vest on him.
Footage emerged showing Iraqi security forces removing a suicide bomb vest from the young boy after he was apprehended in Kirkuk, Iraq, on Sunday.
"The boy claimed during interrogation that he had been kidnapped by masked men who put the explosives on him and sent him to the area," Kirkuk intelligence official Chato Fadhil Humadi told the AP.
The boy, Mr Humadi added, was displaced from the Isis-held city of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, by recent military operations in the area.
He arrived in Kirkuk a week ago, Mr Humadi said. The boy's name is known to the police.
Hours earlier, a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a Shia mosque in Kirkuk, injuring two people.
“There is a dangerous campaign tonight against Kirkuk,” a security official told Kurdish news agency Rudaw.
The Amaq news agency, Isis' media arm, claimed responsibility for the mosque bombing, but made no statement about the boy.
On Saturday, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said an Isis child suicide bomber as young as 12 was behind an attack on a Kurdish wedding which killed at least 51 people.
At least 22 of the victims were under the age of 14, a government official said.
Kirkuk, an oil-rich city in Iraq's north, is claimed by both Iraq's central government and the country's Kurdish region.
Kirkuk has seen a rise in ethnic tensions following Isis' blitz across northern and western Iraq in 2014. Iraqi security forces largely withdrew from Kirkuk and Kurdish forces known as the peshmerga took control of the city. Since then, Shia militia fighters have also massed around the city.
The area is home to Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen who all have competing claims to the area. The Kurds have long wanted to incorporate the city into their semi-autonomous region, but Iraq's central government opposes this.
Additional reporting by AP
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments