| April 2010 Baghdad bombings | |
|---|---|
| Part of Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) | |
| Location | Baghdad, Iraq |
| Date | 23–24 April 2010 (UTC+4) |
| Target | Mostly Shias |
Attack type | coordinated bomb detonations |
| Deaths | 85+ |
| Injured | 145+ |
| Perpetrator |  Islamic State of Iraq |
The April 2010 Baghdad bombings were a series of bomb attacks in Baghdad, Iraq that killed at least 85 people over two days. [1] Hundreds more were seriously wounded. [2]
On 23 April, over a two-hour time span, a wave of coordinated bombings hit Shia Muslims leaving Friday prayers, Shiite neighbourhoods, and a market. [3] [4] The attacks consisted of five car bombs, which accounted for 58 deaths, and approximately 13 bombs in total. [5] [6] A car bomb outside the Abdel Hadi al-Chalabi mosque in Al-Hurriya killed five and wounded 14. [5] Three bombs, including two car bombs, in the Sadr City district of Baghdad occurred near the headquarters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, where followers gather for morning prayers every Friday. [5] [7] The bombings killed at least 39 and wounded 56 others in Sadr City. [5] A car bomb and a suicide bomber in the Al-Ameen district in east Baghdad killed 11 worshipers leaving a Shiite mosque after prayers and wounded 23 additional people. [5] [6] "Why do they always target us? We are peaceful people. We come to pray and then go on our way," remarked one angry survivor. [6]
Five homemade bombs were also detonated in the predominantly Sunni Al Anbar Governorate killing seven and injuring 11. [7] A police officer responding to the bombings was killed by a roadside bomb. [7] A cluster of houses was damaged in the attack. [7] According to NPR correspondent Quill Lawrence, the bombs were targeted at a police detective and a judge living in the area, both of whom survived. [8] Late on 24 April, the official death toll from the Friday attacks stood at 72. [1] Around 120 people were wounded. [6]
On 24 April, 13 additional people were killed when three bombs were detonated in Western Baghdad. [1] [9] The three bombs, which were hidden in plastic bags, injured 25 additional people. [1] The three bombs exploded simultaneously in a billiard hall located in a mixed Sunni-Shiite neighbourhood. [1]
Iraqi Prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and other Iraqi officials alleged that the Islamic State of Iraq organization carried out the bombing attacks. [1] The attacks were widely seen as retribution for the killings of two top Islamic State of Iraq officials Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Hamza al-Muhajir the previous Sunday. [1] [6] Security spokesperson Qassim al-Moussawi stated that "targeting prayers in areas with a [Shiite] majority is a revenge for the losses suffered by the Islamic State of Iraq." [6] Iraqi political analyst Hameed Fadhel agreed, saying, "These are acts of revenge that are intended to send a message to the Iraqi government and the world that the Islamic State of Iraq's existence will not be affected by the killing of specific leaders." [6] No one has officially claimed responsibility. [1] The government expects "such terrorist acts to continue." [6]
After the attacks, Muqtada al-Sadr offered to "Iraqi security forces to fight insurgents", sparking fear that he might be considering a revival of his Mahdi Army militia. [1] Al-Sadr's aides claimed that he had no such plans. [1] He urged his followers to remain calm and not provoke the United States, but added that he was prepared to have "hundreds of believers" join the Iraqi army and police forces. [1] "The government might ask the help of individual citizens, not from armed groups," presidential aid Ali al-Adeeb responded. [1]
On Friday and Saturday, citizens of the Sadr City enclave of Baghdad took to the streets for at least six separate funeral processions. [1] [10] Many of the victims were carried to the holy city of Najaf, 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the south. [10] Some of the mourners supported the idea of reviving the Mahdi Army. "They can provide security. The government cannot," remarked one citizen. [1]
Events in the year 2005 in Iraq.
At approximately 6:44 a.m. Arabia Standard Time on 22 February 2006, al-Askari Shrine in Samarra, Iraq, was severely damaged in a bombing attack amidst the then-ongoing Iraq War. Constructed in the 10th century, it is one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam. Despite the magnitude of the explosions, there were no casualties. American president George W. Bush asserted that the bombing had been carried out by Al-Qaeda in Iraq, which denied involvement in the attack.
The following lists events that happened during 2006 in Iraq.
The 2006 Sadr City bombings were a series of car bombs and mortar attacks in Iraq that occurred on 23 November at 15:10 Baghdad time and ended at 15:55. Six car bombs and two mortar rounds were used in the attack on the Shia slum in Sadr City.
The 2007 al-Askari mosque bombing occurred on 13 June 2007 at around 9 am local time at one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, the al-Askari Mosque, and has been attributed by Iran to the Iraqi Baath Party. While there were no injuries or deaths reported, the mosque's two ten-story minarets were destroyed in the attacks. This was the second bombing of the mosque, with the first bombing occurring on 22 February 2006 and destroying the mosque's golden dome.
Events in the year 2008 in Iraq.
The 2008 Iraq spring fighting was a series of clashes between the Mahdi Army and allies and the Iraqi Army supported by coalition forces, in southern Iraq and parts of Baghdad, that began with an Iraqi offensive in Basra.
This article details major terrorist incidents in Iraq in 2008. In 2008, there were 257 suicide bombings in Iraq. On February 1, a pair of bombs detonated at a market in Baghdad, killing 99 people and injuring 200. Two other particularly deadly attacks occurred on March 6, and June 17.
This is a list of terrorist incidents in Iraq during 2010. Major attacks include a 1 February attack killing 54 in Baghdad, and a 10 May attack killed 45 at a fabrics factory in Hillah.
The 23 July 2012 Iraq attacks were a series of simultaneous, coordinated bombings and shootings that struck the Iraqi security force and Shi'ite Muslim communities. At least 116 people were killed and 299 wounded in the attacks, making them the deadliest attacks in the country since May 2010. The Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The 2012–2013 Iraqi protests started on 21 December 2012 following a raid on the home of Sunni Finance Minister Rafi al-Issawi and the arrest of 10 of his bodyguards. Beginning in Fallujah, the protests afterwards spread throughout Sunni Arab parts of Iraq. The protests centered on the issue of the alleged sectarianism of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Pro-Maliki protests also took place throughout central and southern Iraq, where there is a Shia Arab majority. In April 2013, sectarian violence escalated after the 2013 Hawija clashes. The protests continued throughout 2013, and in December Maliki used security forces to forcefully close down the main protest camp in Ramadi, leaving at least ten gunmen and three policemen dead in the process.
From 15 to 21 May 2013, a series of deadly bombings and shootings struck the central and northern parts of Iraq, with a few incidents occurring in towns in the south and far west as well. The attacks killed at least 449 people and left 732 others injured in one of the deadliest outbreaks of violence in years.
This list is limited to bombings and does not include other forms of attacks.
The following lists events the happened in 2013 in Iraq.
The following lists events that happened during 2016 in Iraq.
Shia Muslims have been persecuted by the Islamic State (IS), an Islamic extremist group, since 2014. Persecutions have taken place in Iraq, Syria, and other parts of the world.
In May 2016, the Islamic State conducted a series of bombing attacks in and around Shia neighbourhoods in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, killing and wounding hundreds. According to ISIL, attacks were aimed at Shia fighters.
On 7 July 2016, at least 56 people were killed and 75 injured after a group of attackers stormed the Mausoleum of Sayid Mohammed bin Ali al-Hadi, a Shia holy site in Balad, Iraq. The attackers included suicide car bombers, suicide bombers on foot, and several gunmen. They attacked Shia pilgrims celebrating Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. There were three suicide bombers, and one of them was killed by security personnel. There were other attackers too. ISIL also launched several mortars into the area.