BAGHDAD, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Three Iraqi soldiers and a civilian were killed Tuesday in a roadside bomb explosion in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a security source said.
The incident took place when a roadside bomb went off near an army patrol escorting a group of hunters from Kuwait in a desert area near the town of Rawa, some 320 km northwest of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, Mahmoud al-Dulaimi from the Iraqi army told Xinhua.
The blast destroyed the military vehicle, killing three soldiers and the local guide of the hunters, and wounding two others aboard, al-Dulaimi said, adding that there was no casualty among the hunters.
The deserts and valleys of the provinces in western and southern Iraq have gained popularity as hunting grounds, attracting visitors from the Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar to explore the vast wilderness.
Despite the improvement of the security situation in Iraq since the Iraqi forces defeated the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants in 2017, IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. ■
