Shabaniya Holiday Attacks Leave 72 Dead, 151 Wounded in Iraq

Updated at 11:45 p.m. EDT, June 24, 2013

Shi’ite Muslims marked Shabaniya, the anniversary of the birth of Imam Mehdi, today, making Shi’ite neighborhoods in Baghdad obvious targets. Overall, at least 72 people were killed today, and another 151 were wounded.

In Baghdad, ten bombs killed at least 60 people and wounded 125 more. Among the attacks: A car bomb in Karrada killed eight people and wounded 16 more. Four civilians were killed and 15 more were wounded in a bombing in Nahrawan. A car bomb in New Baghdad killed 13 and wounded 15 more; a second bomb killed two people and wounded eight more at a bus stop. Two people were killed and nine more were wounded in a blast in Garage al-Amana. Ten people were killed and 30 more were wounded in a double bombing in Husseiniya. A bomb in al-Shurta al-Rabeaa killed four and wounded nine.

In Mosul, a soldier and a police officer were killed when a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into an army patrol; seven people were wounded. Gunmen wounded a neighborhood leader. Two civilians were shot dead. Four people were killed and 10 more were wounded when a bomb exploded at a restaurant.

A suicide bomber attacked a police official inside a university parking garage in Tikrit. The official and two bodyguards were killed, while five students were wounded.

A Sahwa commander was wounded in a roadside bombing in Zab.

In Khalis, a sticky bomb wounded the driver of a car.

A soldier was wounded in Riyadh, when a roadside bomb exploded.

Author: Margaret Griffis

Margaret Griffis is a journalist from Miami Beach, Florida and has been covering Iraqi casualties for Antiwar.com since 2006.