Three Iraqi soldiers wounded in bomb blast south of Kirkuk

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Three Iraqi army soldiers, including one officer, were wounded on Monday when a bomb planted in agricultural land detonated during a military patrol near the Çay Valley in the Dakuk district, south of Kirkuk, according to security sources. The device exploded as an Iraqi army unit was passing through farmland in the area, the sources said. The wounded soldiers were transported to a hospital for treatment. Security forces cordoned off the blast site and launched a search and sweep operation in the surrounding area to determine whether additional explosive devices had been placed nearby. The Dakuk district and its surrounding rural areas have been the site of attacks by Islamic State cells targeting security forces. Iraqi troops continue counterterrorism operations against the group in the region. No further details were immediately available.