2015 Khan Bani Saad bombing

2015 Khan Bani Saad bombing
Part of Iraqi Civil War
Khan Bani Saad
Location Iraq Khan Bani Saad, Iraq
Coordinates 33°34′16″N 44°32′31″E / 33.57111°N 44.54194°E / 33.57111; 44.54194Coordinates: 33°34′16″N 44°32′31″E / 33.57111°N 44.54194°E / 33.57111; 44.54194
Date 17 July 2015
Target Shiites
Attack type
 Mass murder, car bomb, suicide attack
Weapons Car bomb
Deaths 120–130[1]
Non-fatal injuries
 at least 130[2]
Perpetrators Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)

A suicide car bombing occurred on 17 July 2015 in the Iraqi city of Khan Bani Saad, targeting a local marketplace. As of 19 July 2015 approximately 130 people were killed in the bombing, with a similar number of injured. Several people were killed by collapsed buildings. The bomb was hidden under an ice truck in an attempt to attract more people amid the heat. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Background

Prior to the attack, Iraqi officials had declared victory over ISIL in the Diyala Governorate where Khan Bani Saad is located after local forces and Shiite paramilitaries drove the ISIL members out of towns and villages.[3] Insurgents, however, remained active in the governorate.[3]

Bombing

According to two local police officials, the bomber announced he was selling ice and offering a discount because of the Eid al-Fitr holiday.[4] As the air temperature was around 35 °C (95 °F), the announcement attracted people to his ice truck.[4] The attacker then detonated a bomb, killing himself and between 120[2] and 130 people[1] and injuring at least 130 more. Fifteen children were among the dead.[5] Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the ISIL, which in a Twitter statement wrote that the attack had been conducted in response to the killing of Sunni Muslims in Hawija, and that 3 tonnes (6,600 pounds) of explosives had been used in the attack.[3]

Aftermath

In addition to those killed, 20 people were reported missing after the attack.[1] Several buildings collapsed after the blast, crushing some people.[3] Police major Ahmed al-Tamimi assessed the damage as "devastating".[2] The authorities of Diyala Governorate, where Khan Bani Saad is located, declared three days of mourning and cancelled Eid al-Fitr festivities.[2]

Reactions

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "At least 130 dead in Iraq after massive bomb attack". The Washington Post. 18 July 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Iraq violence: Car bomb kills scores in mainly Shia town". BBC. 18 July 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Islamic State claims suicide car bomb that kills more than 100 in Iraq". Reuters. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Sinister ISIS plot kills 120, wounds 140 in Iraq". CNN. 19 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "ISIS claims Iraq car bomb attack, 90 killed". Al Arabiya. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  6. ↑ Mustafa Salim; Loveday Morris (18 July 2015). "At least 130 are dead in Iraq after a massive bomb attack". The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  7. ↑ "White House Condemns ‘Abhorrent’ Car Bombing At Iraqi Market". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "Foreign Office Minister condemns Iraq car bomb attack". Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  9. ↑ "Death toll in Iraq market bombing more than 130". The Brics Post. 19 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
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