Suicide truck bomb kills about 100 in Iraq

Record ID: 77509

  • Title: Suicide truck bomb kills about 100 in Iraq
  • Date: 25th November 2016
  • Summary: SHOMALI, NEAR HILLA, IRAQ (NOVEMBER 25, 2016) (REUTERS) PEOPLE GATHERED OUTSIDE DAMAGED REST HOUSE NEAR PETROL STATION RUBBLE ON FLOOR OF PETROL STATION RUBBLE IN FRONT OF REST HOUSE PEOPLE AND SECURITY FORCES WALKING AMONGST RUBBLE AT SCENE PANELS LYING ON GROUND POLICEMAN SHOWING PASSPORTS OF VICTIMS MAN WALKING AMONGST DAMAGED FURNITURE INSIDE BUILDING SAFE AND RUBBLE IN BUILDING DAMAGED FURNITURE INSIDE BUILDING EXCAVATOR MOVING RUBBLE EXCAVATOR TRANSPORTING RUBBLE GROUND AROUND PETROL STATION AND REST HOUSE COVERED IN DEBRIS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EYEWITNESS, JASSIM MOHAMMED, SAYING: "We found a leg an hour ago and pieces of flesh and bones” UNNAMED PERSON OFF CAMERA: "Was the blast caused by one car or two?" JASSIM MOHAMMED: "We saw a truck exploding but judging from the extent of damage, the blast might be caused by two car bombs. The blast ravaged the whole area, destroying houses and killing people." AREA OF PETROL STATION COVERED WITH RUBBLE SMOULDERING RUBBLE AND EXCAVATOR NEAR TO PETROL STATION MEMBERS OF PUBLIC AND JOURNALISTS STANDING NEAR ROAD
  • Embargoed: 10th December 2016 16:16
  • Keywords: IS ISIS Islamic State Hilla Kerbala blast explosion Arbaeen
  • Location: SHOMALI, NEAR HILLA, IRAQ
  • City: SHOMALI, NEAR HILLA, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Bombing (non-military),Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA00159Y1WEF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A suicide truck bomb killed approximately 100 people, most of them Iranian Shi'ite pilgrims, at a petrol station in the district of Shomali near the city of Hilla, 100 km (62 miles) south of Baghdad, on Thursday (November 24), police and medical sources said.
    Islamic State, the ultra hardline Sunni militant group that considers all Shi'ites to be apostates, claimed responsibility the attack in an online statement.
    The group also is fighting off a U.S.-backed offensive on its stronghold Mosul, in northern Iraq, in which Iranian-trained Shi'ite militias are taking part.
    The pilgrims were en route back to Iran from the Iraqi Shi'ite holy city of Kerbala, where they had commemorated Arbaeen, the 40th day of mourning for the killing of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, in the 7th century AD, the medical sources said.
    The petrol station has a restaurant on its premises that is popular with travellers. Five pilgrim buses were set afire by the blast from the explosives-laden truck, a police official said.
    One eyewitness, Jassim Mohammed, said they were continuing to find body parts of victims on Friday (November 26).
    "The blast ravaged the whole area, destroying houses and killing people," he added.
    In recent months Islamic State has intensified attacks in areas out of its control in efforts to weaken the offensive launched on October 17 to retake Mosul, the last major Iraqi city under Islamic State control.
    Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack without giving a casualty toll.
    Tehran will continue to support Iraq's "relentless fight against terrorism," ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.
    U.S. officials also condemned the attack.
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