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Baghdad market bombing has been condemned by Ban Ki-moon | ||
| 23/07/2015 | ||
Due to the blast several buildings are damaged in Khan Bani Saad, about 30km northeast of Baghdad, crushing to death people who were celebrating the end of Ramazan, police and medics said. In the deadliest single attack in a decade in Iraq, a truck bomb exploded at a crowded marketplace in eastern Diyala province, killing at least 115 people celebrating the end of the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan. A U.S.-led coalition dropped new leaflets over the de facto capital of the Islamic State group in Syria, promising those below that “freedom will come” to the region, activists said Sunday. The assault involves a large-scale deployment of government-allied Shiite militias against a heavily defended militant stronghold and urban center, and Iraqi officials predicted a hard fight ahead. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorized to talk to journalists. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on Twitter associated with the militant group. Baghdad announced in January that Iraqi forces had “liberated” Diyala, significant parts of which had been overrun by ISIS after their fighters launched a brutally effective offensive last June. Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a telegram to the Iraqi authorities to offer his condolences in connection with the terror attack which took over 100 lives in the city of Khan Beni Saad. Iraqi forces and Kurdish fighters have since retaken those areas, but clashes between the militants and security forces continue. Bombings have been a terrifying commonplace in Iraq since long before the Islamic State existed in its current form. Iraqi forces are now pressing a broad offensive in Anbar, where they are tightening the noose on ISIS in the western province’s two main cities, Ramadi and Fallujah. | ||
Last Update:: 23/07/2015 | ||
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