15 killed in insurgent attacks in Iraq

Fifteen people were killed in separate attacks by insurgents in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, security sources said Thursday.

The attack occurred late Wednesday when dozens of gunmen attacked an army base in al-Mahallabiyah area, some 400 km north of Baghdad, an army source told Xinhua.

The attackers came in more than 20 vehicles and a fierce clash took place with soldiers for three hours, the source said.

The battle left 13 killed, including five soldiers. Five others were also injured, the source added.

In a separate incident, a soldier was killed and another wounded when a roadside bomb struck the army patrol in the province's capital Mosul.

Also in Mosul, gunmen broke into a shop and shot dead the owner from Shabak minority, the source said.

Shabak people are a Shiite minority group living in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, particularly near Mosul.