An explosives-strapped man slipped into a luncheon gathering at a tribal leader’s home and blew himself up on Friday, killing at least 23 people and wounding dozens.
The attack in Youssifiyah, in the area once known as the Triangle of Death because of its extreme violence, came a day after the US relinquished the lead on security to Iraqi forces. The bloodshed highlighted the challenge that Iraqi police and soldiers face in trying to bringing order to a country gripped by religious, ethnic and political enmity.
Police officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give information to news media placed the casualty tool at 30 dead and 110 wounded. But Iraqi Army Colonel Aman Mansour Ibrahim, who was on the scene, said 24 were killed and 38 wounded. The US military said Iraqis were reporting 23 dead and 32 wounded.
Conflicting reports on the number of dead and wounded are common in Iraq in the chaotic aftermath of attacks. But it appeared the blast was the deadliest attack in Iraq since Dec. 11, when a suicide bomber killed 55 at a cafe in Kirkuk.
The bombing was at a reception hall adjacent to the residence of Sheik Mohammed Abdullah Salih, head of the Sunni al-Garaqul tribe.
Authorities said the sheik had invited senior tribal figures and other members to lunch.
The sheik also had invited members of the Sons of Iraq, a group of former Sunni insurgents who turned against al-Qaeda in Iraq and joined the US military in the fight against the terror group, said a police official who asked not to be named because the investigation was ongoing.
The decision by the former Sunni insurgents to switch allegiance was a key turning point in the battle against al-Qaeda in Iraq and helped shift the war in the US’ favor.
One year ago, Osama bin Laden warned Iraq’s Sunni Arabs against joining the councils fighting al-Qaeda. The groups have since been targeted in a series of deadly attacks.
The bomber was a suspected member of al-Qaeda, the police official said. Suicide vests are a hallmark of the terror group’s techniques.
The sheik was slightly injured in the blast, local officials said.
A witness said he and a friend were standing a few meters from the entrance to the meeting room when the bomber blew himself up.
“What an aftermath we saw — shattered glasses mixed with blood, everybody on the ground, a bad smell, blood, remains of bodies stuck to the wall,” said Ismael Abu Ayab al-Qaraghuli.
Youssifiyah is in the Sunni-dominated region south of Baghdad.
Bloodshed in the region and across Iraq declined markedly last year, but violent rivalries persist throughout Iraq.
The bomber also reportedly was a nephew of a nominee for the provincial council, a local official said on condition of anonymity.
Most of Iraq will hold provincial elections on Jan. 31 and there is strong concern that violence could spike in the run-up to the vote.
Also on Friday, gunmen killed two people when they opened fire on a checkpoint manned by members of the Sons of Iraq in Jurf al-Sakhar, police said.
Four other people were reported wounded in the attack 64km south of Baghdad.
TWIN DISASTERS: Authorities are investigating the cause of the stampede in Bihar that killed seven people and the fire at a hotel in West Bengal that also killed seven A deadly stampede yesterday broke out at a Hindu temple in eastern India’s Bihar state, hours after a fire swept through a hotel housing pilgrims in West Bengal state. Seven people were killed and more than a dozen injured in the stampede, while the blaze left at least seven people dead and several others critically injured, police said. The incident in Bihar occurred near Ashok Dham Temple in Lakhisarai District, as thousands of devotees gathered to offer prayers on the third Monday of Shravan. The period, which usually falls between July and August, is dedicated to the worship of Hindu god Lord Shiva
US President Donald Trump’s war against Iran is stretching the limits of US aircraft carriers and leaving the western Pacific without one of the key US warships as China shows more signs of aggression. The USS George Washington is departing the Pacific and expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East amid growing concerns about mental health and supply issues aboard the long-deployed carrier. The Lincoln has had its time at sea extended from its original May return date to support operations against Iran. The lack of a US carrier in the Pacific might be short-lived if
When food safety inspectors raided a Mumbai dessert parlor famed for its ice cream sandwiches last month, they found rats, houseflies and expired flavoring agents. At another beloved restaurant known for slow-cooked mutton and beef stews, they discovered meat stored in filthy containers, greasy floors and open windows that could let in insects and crows. Both eateries were ordered shut in the toughest crackdown in years on restaurants in the megacity of more than 20 million people. Residents of India’s financial capital are fiercely protective of their food culture, but many have welcomed the closure of some of the best-known establishments over
A woman is suing the Vienna City Council for discrimination over access to public toilets, complaining that women must pay to use cubicles while men can use urinals for free. “I was in a park with a friend and we both needed to use the bathroom. He could go for free, but I had to pay 50 cents [US$0.58]. I thought to myself: How is that possible?” Melanie Gradik, 27, told reporters in the Austrian capital’s Augarten. “I want everyone to be able to use the bathroom on an equal footing. Either we all pay 50 cents or no one pays 50
RSS