Baghdad: A wave of at least 14 bombings ripped across Baghdad on Thursday morning, killing at least 60 people in the worst violence in Iraq for months.
The apparently coordinated attacks struck days after the last American forces left the country and in the midst of a major government crisis between Shia and Sunni politicians that has sent sectarian tensions soaring.
The bombings may be linked more to the US withdrawal than the political crisis, but all together, the developments heighten fears of a new round of Shia-Sunni sectarian bloodshed like the one a few years back that pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. But the bombings bore all the hallmarks of al-Qaida’s Sunni insurgents. Most appeared to hit Shia neighbourhoods, although some Sunni areas were also targeted. In all, 11 neighbourhoods were hit byeither car bombs, roadside blasts or sticky bombs attached to cars. There was at least one suicide bombing and the blasts went off over several hours.
The deadliest attack was in the Karrada neighborhood, where a suicide bomber driving an explosives-laden vehicle blew himself up outside the office of a government agency fighting corruption.
Two police officers at the scene said the bomber was driving an ambulance and told guards that he needed to get to a nearby hospital. After the guards let him through, he drove to the building where he blew himself up.
Sirens wailed as ambulances rushed to the scene and a large plume of smoke rose over the area. The blast left a crater about five yards wide in front of the five-story building, which was singed and blackened.
At least 25 people were killed and 62 injured in that attack, officials said.
The apparently coordinated attacks struck days after the last American forces left the country and in the midst of a major government crisis between Shia and Sunni politicians that has sent sectarian tensions soaring.
The bombings may be linked more to the US withdrawal than the political crisis, but all together, the developments heighten fears of a new round of Shia-Sunni sectarian bloodshed like the one a few years back that pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. But the bombings bore all the hallmarks of al-Qaida’s Sunni insurgents. Most appeared to hit Shia neighbourhoods, although some Sunni areas were also targeted. In all, 11 neighbourhoods were hit byeither car bombs, roadside blasts or sticky bombs attached to cars. There was at least one suicide bombing and the blasts went off over several hours.
The deadliest attack was in the Karrada neighborhood, where a suicide bomber driving an explosives-laden vehicle blew himself up outside the office of a government agency fighting corruption.
Two police officers at the scene said the bomber was driving an ambulance and told guards that he needed to get to a nearby hospital. After the guards let him through, he drove to the building where he blew himself up.
Sirens wailed as ambulances rushed to the scene and a large plume of smoke rose over the area. The blast left a crater about five yards wide in front of the five-story building, which was singed and blackened.
At least 25 people were killed and 62 injured in that attack, officials said.
No comments:
Post a Comment