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November 18, 2005
Iraq: Two Mosques Bombed - 77 Killed
Though the news was breaking earlier today, I resisted the temptation to rush in with half-formed statistics. The story is this, as documented by Reuters: In the northeastern Iraqi town of Khanaqin, an area of mixed Kurdish and Shia population, suicide bombers detonated their explosives at two Shia Mosques during morning prayers.
The attacks happened at the Sheikh Murad mosque and at the larger Grand mosque nearby, and a third bomber exploded himself at a bank in the town. A curfew was imposed by the authorities in the town, which is 110 miles north-east of Baghdad.
The figure for the dead has now risen to 77, with 80 wounded. Many of the bodies were too mangled to identify visually. The bombers had mingled with worshippers before detonating their explosive belts. According to ITV News, structural damage has occurred to both mosques.
There are suspicions, voiced by ITV, that the attacks on the Shia and Kurdish town were carried out by Sunni insurgents, anxious to destablise and fragment the communities prior to the upcoming elections.
The United States DefenseLink News reports that after the attacks in Khanaqin, which lies in Diyala province, close to the Iraqi border, US forces sent medial teams and supplies to aid the Iraqis. Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry, 101st Airborne division assisted the Iraqis in providing a security cordon around the affected area.
Earlier, in Baghdad, a van loaded with explosives was driven to the exterior grounds of a hotel used by journalists, and detonated. A second suicide truck was then driven as far as it could go towards the Hamra hotel, but was unable to get past the wreckage, and was detonated. A nearby apartment block collapsed with the strength of the blasts, trapping people inside. Six people are known to have died, including two children, and 40 wounded.
Body parts were found in the road, and in the hotel's swimming pool.
The Hamra hotel is a few hundred yards from a secret Interior Ministry bunker, which was raided on Sunday by US troops. 150 mostly Sunni Arabs were found imprisoned in the bunker. They had been beaten, tortured and starved.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 18, 2005 2:22 PM
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