Iraqi officials say a Shiite and a Sunni mosque in Baghdad have been targeted in bombings that killed at least nine people. …read more
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Tag Archives: Baghdad
Car bombs kill at least 20 in Baghdad
A wave of car bombs struck the Iraqi capital on Monday morning, killing at least 20 people, security and medical officials said. …read more
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Gunmen kill 14 truck drivers in Iraq: official
Gunmen killed 14 truck drivers and stole their vehicles on a highway north of Baghdad on Thursday, while dozens of other militants attacked a nearby town, a local administrative official said. …read more
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Iraq says it signs deal with Iran to import natural gas for power generation
An Iraqi government spokesman says Baghdad has signed a deal with Iran to import natural gas for power generation, further intertwining the economies of the two Shiite-dominated countries. …read more
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Iraq arm of al-Qaida says it was responsible for prison raids outside Baghdad
Al-Qaida’s arm in Iraq has claimed responsibility for deadly raids on prisons on the outskirts of Baghdad this week that set free hundreds of prisoners, including some of its followers. …read more
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Gunmen attack two Iraq prisons
Security forces foiled an attack by armed men on two prisons near Baghdad, the Iraqi interior ministry said, while online comments from jihadists on Monday claimed that thousands of prisoners had escaped. …read more
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Blasts in Iraq kill 6, as toll from previous night's wave of bombings in Baghdad nears 60
Iraqi authorities say two morning bomb attacks on the outskirts of Baghdad have killed six, as the death toll from a wave of car bombings in the capital the night before jumped to 57. …read more
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Deadly Car Bombings Hit Iraq’s Capital
By The Huffington Post News Editors
BAGHDAD — A coordinated wave of car bombings tore through commercial streets in Baghdad on Saturday night, killing more than 30 and wounding dozens as insurgents kept up a relentless offensive during the holy month of Ramadan.
The blasts struck in Shiite Muslim areas of the Iraqi capital. Although there was no claim of responsibility, coordinated bombings against Shiites are a favorite tactic of al-Qaida’s Iraq branch.
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At least 30 killed in wave of car bombs in Iraq, officials say
Iraqi officials: At least 30 dead in wave of evening car bombings in Baghdad commercial areas.
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Baghdad car bombings kill at least 22
At least 22 people were killed in a string of car bomb attacks on Saturday timed for nightfall when shoppers take to the streets during Ramadan, security and medics said. …read more
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Bombing in Sunni mosque in Iraq kills at least 17
A bomb exploded inside a Sunni mosque in central Iraq during midday prayers Friday, killing at least 17 people in the latest outburst of deadly violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.
Suicide attacks, car bombings and other violence have killed nearly 200 people since the faithful began daytime fasting to mark the Islamic holy month, which started earlier in July.
The violence is an extension of a surge that has ripped through Iraq for months, reviving fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
Diyala provincial councilman Sadiq al-Husseini said Friday’s explosion hit the Abu Bakir al-Sideeq mosque in the town of Wijaihiya, which is about 50 miles northeast of Baghdad. He said it killed at least 17.
Diyala province, where the attack occurred, was once the site of some of the fiercest fighting between U.S. forces and insurgents in Iraq. It remains a hotbed for terrorist attacks. The area is religiously mixed and witnessed some of the worst atrocities as Shiite militias battled Sunni insurgents for control in the years after the invasion.
“Terrorism is targeting all sects in Diyala mainly by attacking Sunni and Shiite mosques, funerals and football fields to draw the province into a sectarian conflict. All the victims were civilians,” al-Husseini said, appealing for calm. “I call on all Diyala residents to show self-restraint.”
Police and hospital officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information to media, confirmed the death toll. They also reported that more than 50 were wounded in the explosion, and warned that the number of dead could rise.
The attack struck while Iran’s outgoing president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, wrapped up a two-day trip to Iraq with visits to Shiite Muslim holy cities of Najaf and Karbala south of Baghdad. There was no indication the mosque blast was related to his trips.
Violence across Iraq has risen sharply since a heavy-handed crackdown by security forces on a Sunni protest camp in the northern town of Hawija on April 23. That raid followed months of rallies by Iraq’s minority Sunnis against the Shiite-led government over what they contend is second-class treatment and the unfair use of tough anti-terrorism measures against their sect.
The surge in bloodshed has left more than 2,800 people dead and many more wounded since the start of April.
Attacks on Sunni mosques, for years a relatively rare target in Iraq, have picked up significantly in recent months.
There has been no claim of responsibility for Friday’s bombing or many of the other recent attacks.
Sunni extremists such as al Qaeda’s Iraq arm that seek to undermine the Shiite-led government are frequently blamed for bombing attacks targeting civilians. They could be behind the Sunni mosque bombings too, hoping to incite a sectarian backlash against Shiites. So could Shiite militias that have been remobilizing following years of relative quiet.
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Bomb in Iraq Sunni mosque kills 20
A bomb exploded in a crowded mosque north of Baghdad on Friday afternoon, killing at least 20 people and wounding 40, police said.
The blast hit Abu Bakr al-Sadiq Mosque in the town of Al-Wajihiyah, east of Baquba, the capital of Diyala province.
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Bombing in Sunni mosque in Iraq kills at least 10
Officials say a bomb has exploded in a Sunni mosque in central Iraq, killing at least 10 people.
Provincial councilman Sadiq al-Huusseini says Friday’s explosion hit the Abu Bakir al-Sideeq mosque in the town of Wijaihiya, about 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad. He says it killed 10.
Police and hospital officials put the casualty toll at 12 dead and more than 40 wounded. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information to media.
Iraq has been rocked by a surge of violence that has killed more than 2,800 people since the start of April, raising fears it is returning to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
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Iran's Ahmadinejad visits Shiite sites in Iraq
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is in southern Iraq to visit two of the holiest cities for Shiite Muslims amid tight security on the second day of his two-day visit to the country.
The outgoing Iranian president waved to worshippers and smiled on Friday morning as he entered the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, a city 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Baghdad.
Security forces were deployed along the route from Najaf airport to the gold-domed shrine, one of the holiest sites in Shiite Islam.
Ahmadinejad’s convoy then plans to head to the city of Karbala, home to the shrine of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
This is Ahmadinejad’s second visit to Iraq while in office. On Thursday, he met Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other officials.
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Iran, Iraq have 'exceptional' security role: Ahmadinejad
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in Iraq on Thursday that Tehran and Baghdad have an “exceptional” role to play in the region’s security.
“The role of the two countries in the security of the region is exceptional,” Ahmadinejad told reporters in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, but without elaborating.
“We carry a joint message, which is a message of progress and stability and security, and also a message of peace,” Ahmadinejad said after talks with Iraqi Vice President Khudayr al-Khuzaie.
Ahmadinejad, whose term ends early next month, arrived in Iraq to a red carpet welcome.
He also met Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a statement on the premier’s website said.
Maliki said at the meeting that “Iraq supports peaceful solutions for all the problems in the region,” and told Ahmadinejad Iranian companies were welcome to take part in the reconstruction of Iraq, the statement said.
Ahmadinejad plans to visit the shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala and that of Imam Ali in Najaf, two of the holiest sites in Shiite Islam, Maliki’s spokesman Ali Mussawi said.
Iraq and Iran fought a bloody 1980-88 war launched by now-executed dictator Saddam Hussein.
But the neighbours have drawn closer since Saddam’s overthrow by US-led forces in 2003, which ultimately paved the way for expanded Iranian influence in Iraq.
The United States has repeatedly said that Iran is using Iraqi airspace to supply arms to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which is locked in a brutal civil war with rebels seeking his overthrow.
Iran has stood by its ally Assad in the more than two-year conflict, while Iraq has sought to publicly avoid backing either side.
Iran has also supplied weapons and training to Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, which has entered the war on Assad’s behalf.
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Blast kills 3 children at swimming area in Iraq
A bombing killed three children at a popular swimming area in Iraq on Wednesday, following a similar attack two days before, police and a doctor said.
The bomb was planted near Al-Shakha river in the Muqdadiyah area northeast of Baghdad.
The explosion came after mortar rounds struck a swimming area on the Tigris river north of the capital on Monday, killing four people, including a child.
Muqdadiyah has been hit by several attacks in recent days, including a bomb targeting worshippers leaving a Sunni mosque on Tuesday, killing four people and wounding 15.
The children killed on Wednesday were also Sunni.
A plague of sectarian violence killed tens of thousands of people in Iraq in past years, and there are persistent fears that tensions will again boil over into all-out conflict.
In the northern city of Kirkuk on Wednesday, two bombings wounded two members of the Kurdish peshmerga security forces, a senior officer and a doctor said.
Kirkuk is part of a swathe of northern territory that the autonomous Kurdistan region wants to incorporate over the strong objections of the federal government in Baghdad — a dispute that officials and diplomats warn is one of the main threats to Iraq’s long-term stability.
Wednesday’s attacks come as Iraq struggles with its worst violence since 2008.
More than 2,600 people have been killed so far this year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.
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Iraq attacks make for deadly start to holy month
Ramadan this year is shaping up to be the deadliest in Iraq since a bloody insurgency and rampant sectarian killings pushed the country to the edge of civil war in the wake of the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.
Suicide attacks, car bombings and other violence have killed more than 160 Iraqis just seven days into the Islamic holy month. The death toll in the first week of Ramadan hasn’t been that high since 2007, intensifying fears that Iraq is slipping back into widespread chaos.
There seems to be little pattern in the range of targets, adding to the sense of unease in what is meant to be a month of spiritual growth and generosity.
Several of those killed over the past week died at a busy northern teashop while playing mehebis, a game where players hope to win sweets by guessing who among their opposing team is hiding a ring in their hands. Others were slain as they swam with friends, or as they shopped for festive evening dinners, or made their way home from mosques after late-night prayers.
Even for Iraqis who have grown used to hearing about random violence, day after day of double-digit death tolls makes for a worrying trend.
Many are choosing to stay home after breaking their dawn-to-dusk fast rather than venture out for festive family get-togethers and late-night cafe sessions, worrying they could be among the next victims.
“Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups … have a better ability to move around and attack targets whenever it suits them,” said Qais Hameed, an engineer and father of three from eastern Baghdad who quit going to a nearby coffee shop after breaking his daily fast. “This just shows that these terrorist groups are getting stronger while our security forces are getting weaker.”
The bloodshed during Ramadan is an extension of a surge of attacks that has been roiling Iraq since the spring. It follows months of rallies by Iraq’s minority Sunnis against the Shiite-led government over what they contend is second-class treatment and the unfair use of tough anti-terrorism measures against their sect.
The killings significantly picked up after Iraqi security forces launched a heavy-handed crackdown on a Sunni protest camp in the northern town of Hawija on April 23. A ferocious backlash followed the raid, with deadly bomb attacks and the return of sporadic gunbattles between insurgents and soldiers …read more
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Celebratory fire turns Iraq football win into nightmare
Thirteen-year-old Moqtada went outside his house to set off fireworks after a victory by Iraq’s football team, but ended up a victim of celebratory gunfire, with a bullet lodged in his back.
When Iraq beat South Korea in the U-20 World Cup quarter-finals this month, Baghdad erupted with the sound of gunshots, fired individually or in automatic bursts.
But while some were gleefully firing in the air, others were paying the price. Security and medical officials said at least four people were killed and around 21 wounded by gunfire after the match.
Celebratory shooting adds yet another danger to a country which has been hit by the worst violence since 2008. More than 2,600 people have been killed in attacks so far this year.
At a house in central Baghdad, Moqtada, a slightly-built boy with black hair, rested on his stomach on a narrow bed, a large bandage covering his wounded lower back.
“I went out … to play with fireworks” and “was hit in my back,” Moqtada said in a quiet voice.
He intially thought he had been struck by a firework, but it soon became clear it was something more serious.
“I was sitting at home watching the match, which Iraq won. We were happy,” said Moqtada’s uncle Rahim. “Then they called saying your nephew was hit by a shot.”
Rahim said Moqtada was taken to a public hospital in Baghdad, but they refused to operate, saying it was too risky.
So the wounded boy had to be moved to a second public hospital.
It seemed the operation would be performed there, but doctors eventually decided it should be done at a third, privately-owned hospital, where the bullet was finally removed.
The boy’s father Ali later told AFP Moqtada was recovering well from the gunshot and walking again.
But the operation, unlike treatment at public facilities, came at a steep cost — 2.5 million Iraqi dinars (about $2,080) — a huge expense that the family could ill-afford. They pooled money to pay the bill.
It was “all because of the match,” Rahim said. “Clap, dance, celebrate, but not with shooting.”
As for an upcoming match, he added: “I hope that Iraq will lose, it is better, I swear to God.”
No victory would mean no celebratory shooting.
Interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan told AFP that people who fire weapons in the air can face arrest and the confiscation of their firearms.
“If you want to celebrate, you can celebrate in a modern way,” Maan said. “Anything else except using guns.”
But celebratory shooting, which also occurs at some weddings and funerals, is still common in Iraq, and security forces are sometimes part of the problem.
The night Moqtada was shot, one witness saw federal policemen in the Zayouna area of Baghdad firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle and a machinegun into the air, though an officer came and called them to account.
People usually fire into the air at an angle, meaning that “the bullet will come back to earth on a parabolic curve with some residual velocity,” said Ronald Scott, a US-based forensic consultant on firearms, ballistics, and …read more
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Police: Attacks around Iraq kill 9 people
Attacks across Iraq killed nine people on Monday, including a 10-year-old boy out swimming with friends, the latest in a surge of violence rocking Iraq during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Violence in Iraq is now at its deadliest level in half a decade, raising fears the country is returning to the widespread bloodshed that pushed the country to the edge of civil war. More than 2,800 people have been killed since the start of April.
Police said Monday’s deadliest attack was a mortar barrage near a group of people trying to escape the blistering summer heat by swimming in the Tigris River near Samarra, about 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad.
Four people were killed in the mortar shelling, including the boy, and 11 others were wounded, according to police.
Temperatures in Baghdad soared above 45 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit).
In the northern city of Kirkuk, a car bomb went off near a passing security patrol, killing a policeman and wounding 11 other people, including four civilians.
The blast left a crater two meters (six feet) wide near the side of the road, and the charred hull of the blue police pickup truck lay mangled in the street.
Hours later, a suicide bomber slammed his explosives-laden car into an army checkpoint near Kirkuk, killing two soldiers, according to Lt. Gen. Mohammed Khalaf, a senior military commander in the city.
More than 140 people have been killed since Muslims in Iraq began observing Ramadan on Wednesday.
The American and British Embassies each issued statements Monday condemning the daily rash of attacks.
“That these attacks have taken place during the holy month of Ramadan, a time for charity and compassion is especially disturbing,” said Britain’s charge d’affaires in Iraq, Robert Deane. “This continued violence is clearly intended to fuel sectarian strife and destabilize the country.”
Pious Muslims go without food, drink, smoking and sex in the daytime during the holy month, when feelings of spiritual devotion are high. In the years following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, the start of Ramadan often also brought a wave of insurgent attacks — a pattern being repeated this …read more
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Police: Attacks around Iraq kill 7 people
Iraqi authorities say attacks across the country have killed seven people, including a 10-year-old boy, the latest in a surge of violence.
Police said in Monday’s deadliest attack, mortar shells exploded near people swimming in the Tigris River, trying to escape the summer heat. Four people were killed, including the boy, and 11 others were wounded.
In the northern city of Kirkuk, a policeman was killed and 11 other people were wounded, including four civilians, when a car bomb went off near a passing security patrol.
Also, gunmen sprayed a security checkpoint with bullets just south of Baghdad, killing two soldiers and wounding four others.
Hospital officials confirmed the death toll. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.
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