Iraqi soldier recalls female suicide bomber with child in arms

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - "I never believed a woman would detonate herself while holding her child, but ISIS has done all kinds of bizarre and strange things," an Iraqi army soldier said of a woman who blew herself up in Old Mosul district as she and other civilians approached the Iraqi soldiers.

"Our forces were heading towards Old Mosul. Tens of families were running and approaching us. We noticed a woman holding a child in her arms having a strange demeanor. As we talked to her, she blew herself up immediately,” Ahmed Amouri, an officer from the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS) told Rudaw.

He was at the spot in western Mosul where a woman detonated explosive belts loaded in a hand bang this weekend.

Amouri was among six soldiers wounded in the blast. He said the woman wearing a heavy veil was carrying two bags with her and had a bandaged hand.

After nine months battling against ISIS in the country's second largest city of Mosul, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared Mosul "liberated" on Sunday, despite a few western areas remaining un-cleared.

According to Iraqi Federal Police and Rapid Response Force data, some 38 ISIS woman suicide bombers detonated themselves in June in Mosul.

Dealing with thousands of fleeing the battles and humanitarian crises in Mosul remains a challenge.

"Seven suicide bombing attempts by ISIS women suicide bombers were foiled in Mosul," by Iraqi armed forces,  Salam Obaidi, a commander of the ICTS told Rudaw.

He said they are doing their best to halt the suicide bombers.

"The ISIS suicide bombers are forcing us to do everything to confront them,” Obaidi explained.

A week ago, another woman suicide bomber blew herself up at a refugee camp in western Baghdad, killing 14 people.

Following the declaration of the Islamic State caliphate, hundreds of foreigners, males and females, from around the world journeyed to Iraq and Syria to join and pledge allegiance to the group.