Spiking violence strains sectarian ties in Iraqi province

By YASMINE MOSIMANN
Associated Press

MUQDADIYAH, Iraq (AP) — The Iraqi province of Diyala has seen a spike in bloody attacks over the past month that killed at least 19 civilians, including women and children. At least one instance appears to have been a Shiite revenge attack against Sunnis over an Islamic State group attack. But other violence, residents say, is by Shiites against Shiites as rival militias, backed by tribal and political allies, struggle over influence and over lucrative criminal activities like smuggling. The bloodshed is straining ties among communities in Diyala, an ethnically and religiously diverse province north of Baghdad. It also raises questions about the sustainability of the relative calm and stability that has prevailed in much of Iraq in the years since the defeat of IS.