The Sunday attack occurred at the home of tribal militia leader Abu Salim, who was not in the house at the time of the violent assault, which reportedly involved more than a dozen vehicles and fighters armed with heavy machine guns and other weapons.

Two of Abu Salim’s other sons, aged only four and five, were also wounded in the violent attack.

According to local Iraqi authorities, the attack took place near midnight on Saturday in the town of Jilam, which is located in the suburbs of Samarra City, north of Baghdad.

After the brutal killing, the assailants set off explosives around the house, they authorities added.

They further stated that police officers at a nearby checkpoint attempted to repel the assault but were unsuccessful and eventually fled the scene when they ran out of ammunition.

According to the officials, the reinforcements that the police officers at the scene had requested never arrived.

No group has yet accepted responsibility for the brutal attack on the home of Abu Salim, who is the leader of the Sahwa (awakening) group in Jilam.  

Press reports indicate that more than 240 people have been killed across Iraq so far this month in mostly foreign-backed terrorist operations.

Senior Iraqi officials have blamed Saudi Arabia for the wave of terror in the country, saying that they have evidence proving the Saudi regime’s involvement in terrorism across the Arab nation.

MB/MB