A police officer says Tuesday’s assault occurred in the Anbar province town of Rutba as the police were guarding the highway that links Iraq to neighboring Jordan.

A doctor in a nearby hospital confirmed the death toll. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

Anbar province was a former Al-Qaeda in Iraq stronghold and the birthplace of the pro-government militia that fought Al-Qaeda. The attack came two days after gunmen stormed a government compound and killed seven policemen in the provincial capital of Ramadi.