Turkmen Demonstrators, Young Athletes Among 53 Killed, 142 Wounded in Iraq

Today’s attacks focused on a group of Turkmen demonstrators in Tuz Khormato and football players near Baghdad. Shi’ite pilgrims and security officials were also targeted. At least 53 people were killed and 142 were wounded across the country.

Two suicide bombers in Tuz Khormato killed at least 27 people attending a demonstration calling for more security. Most of the casualties were members of the Turkmen minority. The head of the Turkmen Front and the assistant governor were among the dead. As many as 80 people were wounded.

In Baghdad, a bomb attached to a bus carrying young football players killed four players and wounded 15 more after a match in Zaafaraniya. Gunmen at a church in Amin wounded three guards.

A bomb near a football field in Baquba left eight youths dead and 18 more wounded when it exploded.

Five Shi’ite pilgrims were killed when a bomb exploded on a bus near Iskandariya­­; at least 13 were also wounded.

Four soldiers were killed in Nineva province during a bombing targeting a patrol.

A sticky bomb exploded on a car traveling near Ramadi, killing the driver and wounding three passengers.

A roadside bomb near Tikrit left two soldiers dead and one more wounded.

In Mosul, a roadside bomb targeting the governor wounded four bodyguards instead. The injury count in last night’s bombing rose by five to fifteen wounded.

Author: Margaret Griffis

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