January 2011 Iraq suicide attacks

January 2011 Iraq suicide attacks
Location Baqubah, Karbala, and Tikrit, Iraq
Date January 18–20, 2011 (UTC+03:00)
Attack type
 Car bombs, suicide bombing, shooting
Deaths At least 137
Non-fatal injuries
 230+
Perpetrators Islamic State of Iraq (claimed; Tikrit attack)[1]
Suspected perpetrators
 Al-Qaeda in Iraq

The January 2011 Iraq suicide attacks were a series of four consecutive suicide bombings in Iraq.

18 January attack

On 18 January 2011, a bomber killed 63 people and injured around 150 in the city of Tikrit.[2] The bombing occurred near a police facility where several hundred people were gathered.[2] The attack was blamed on a lack of security at the event; a local police official said that "[t]he security procedures weren't good. They did not meet the demands of such a gathering."[2] A local councilman, Abdullah Jabara, said that the attack was the work of Al-Qaeda, and was intended "to shake the security in the province and to bring back instability to Tikrit."[3]

19 January attacks

On 19 January, at least 15[4][5] people were killed in two attacks in the towns of Baqubah and Ghalbiyah, both located in the same region about 65 kilometres (40 mi) northeast of Baghdad.[5] In the incident in Baqubah, the attacker reportedly fired on guards at a police building before driving an ambulance with explosives into the building, where the vehicle was blown up.[5] This attack killed either 13[4] or 14[5] people, while injuring between 60 and 70.[4][5] The building collapsed after the attack, burying survivors of the initial explosion.[5] The bombing was estimated to have used 450 pounds (200 kg) of explosives and left a crater 7 feet (2.1 m) in diameter.[6]

In Ghalbiyah, a suicide bomber killed two people and injured 15 out of a crowd marching from Baghdad to Karbala, a holy city.[5] An official from the Diyala Governorate and three of his bodyguards were wounded in this incident.[5]

20 January attacks

On 20 January, at least 56 people died when two car bombs detonated near Karbala during the holy festival of Arba'een. In Baquba, three others were killed in a separate suicide bombing.[7][8]

See also

24 January 2011 Iraq bombings

References

  1. ↑ Leland, John (24 January 2011). "Bombings Continue Campaign Against Shiite Pilgrims in Karbala". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 Sly, Liz (18 January 2011). "Suicide bomber kills dozens in Tikrit". The Washington Post.
  3. ↑ "Iraq's security forces targeted in two attacks". Christian Science Monitor. 19 January 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 Sly, Liz (19 January 2011). "At least 15 killed in third straight day of suicide attacks in Iraq". The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Baquba ambulance suicide bomber targets Iraq police". BBC News Online. 19 January 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  6. ↑ Leland, John (19 January 2011). "Insurgents Renew Attacks on Iraqi Security Troops". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  7. ↑ "Karbala car bombs kill dozens during Shia festival". BBC News Online. 20 January 2011. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
  8. ↑ "Officials: Toll rises to 56 in Iraqi pilgrim blast". The Washington Post. 21 January 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2011.


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