In Iraq, 18 people, including two children, were killed today when militants shot at a checkpoint north of Tikrit and then set off two bombs. The attacks were later claimed by Islamic State. It was the first such assault since Tikrit, 150 km north of Baghdad, was retaken from the ultra-hardline jihadist group in April 2015.<br/><br/>One militant was killed at the checkpoint after shooting dead five security personnel and two young civilian bystanders at around 5 in the morning, according to police and sources from Salahuddin Operations Command, which is responsible for security in the area.<br/>Later, 11 persons were killed in blast including three members of a Shi'ite militia working alongside the security forces, and injured 21.