Baghdad: At least 34 people including an Iraqi lawmaker have been killed in separate bombing and shooting attacks in Iraq on Sunday, while dozens others wounded in the series of attacks, officials and media reports said.
In the latest incident, a suicide bomber burst out his explosive at a Baghdad mosque killed at least 28 people and wounds 37 others, according to an Iraqi official.
The attack took place shortly after evening prayers at the Umm al-Qura mosque frequented by Iraqi Sunni leaders in the capital’s western Ghazaliya district and towards the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In the blast Iraqi lawmaker Khalid al Fahadawi among 28 others was killed.
The injured were taken to nearby hospital for treatment. The death toll may rise as several injured were said to be in critical condition.
While rescue operation to lift the rubble of the destroyed mosque was still continue.
In the deadliest attack, militants in military uniforms killed three people in a car at a fake checkpoint they set up west of the restive ethnically mixed city of Baquba, an Iraqi army colonel in the provincial security command centre said.
In another incident in Diyala province, of which Baquba is the capital, two policemen were killed when gunmen opened fire at their checkpoint in Al-Saadiyah town.
And in the main northern city of Mosul, a magnetic “sticky bomb” attached to a police car in the centre of the city killed a policeman and wounded four others, local police said.
Meanwhile in Baghdad, three people were wounded by two separate roadside bomb attacks in Zafraniyah and Shuala districts, an interior ministry official said.
Two policemen were also wounded when explosives attached to a motorcycle blew up near a petrol station in town of Tuz Khurmatu, 175 kilometres (110 miles) north of the capital.
Sunday’s violence comes after al-Qaeda’s front group in Iraq threatened a campaign of 100 attacks, starting in mid-August, to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden in a US special forces raid in Pakistan.
Violence is down across Iraq from its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common. A total of 259 people were killed in violence in Iraq in July, according to official figures, the second-highest figure in 2011.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription