Iraqi Policeman Wraps His Arms Around Suicide Bomber & Saves Dozens Of Pilgrims In Blast

An Iraqi policeman has been hailed a hero after throwing his arms around a suicide bomber to shield others from the blast.

The bomber struck in Khales, northeast of Baghdad, killing five people and wounding 10 on a Shia pilgrimage, a police colonel and a doctor said.

But the
toll would almost certainly have been higher were it not for the officer's selfless actions, police said.
The police hero was named as Ayyub Khalaf, 34, who was married and had two children, aged six and nine.

'Ayyub was martyred while defending pilgrims,' his friend Saad Naim said.

'His name will be an eternal symbol because he saved the lives of dozens of innocents.