2004 Irbil bombings
| 2004 Irbil bombing | |
|---|---|
| Location | Irbil, Iraq |
| Date | February 1, 2004 |
| Target | Headquarters of PUK and KDP |
Attack type | Suicide bombings |
| Deaths | 117 |
Non-fatal injuries | 133 |
| Perpetrators | Al-Qaeda in Iraq |
| ||||||
The 2004 Irbil bombings was a double suicide attack on the offices of Kurdish political parties in Irbil, Iraq, north of Baghdad on February 1, 2004. The attackers detonated explosives strapped to their bodies as hundreds gathered to celebrate Eid Al-Adha in Irbil.
A former government minister, the deputy governor of Irbil province and the city's police chief were among those killed at offices of northern Iraq's main political groups, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The attacks occurred as party leaders were receiving hundreds of visitors to mark the start of Eid.
The Al-Hayat newspaper speculated that the bombings may have been retribution for the Kurdish role in capturing Hassan Ghul.[1]