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IS killings and kidnappings in central Iraq raise questions

The desert area west of Salahuddin and other depopulated areas have faced a spate of kidnappings and killings claimed by the Islamic State.
Mourners attend the funeral of the security men who were kidnapped and killed by Islamic State militants, in Kerbala, Iraq June 28, 2018. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani - RC18ED3C92D0

TIKRIT, Iraq — A rash of kidnappings and killings in rural and depopulated areas in Iraq claimed by the Islamic State (IS) have led to debate over whether and where the international terrorist group may attempt resurgence in the country and how best to prevent it.

The finding of six more corpses of kidnapped individuals on June 27 in the Salahuddin province after several similar incidents has meanwhile reinforced speculation that the province may be prone to a budding insurgency for historical, geographical and political reasons.

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