Suicide Bombers Attack Iraq Funeral, Police; 115 Killed, 255 Wounded

Updated at 11:38 p.m. EDT, Sept. 22, 2013

At least 115 people were killed and 255 more were wounded today, mostly in two brazen attacks. In the worst assault, suicide bombers targeted a funeral in heavily populated Sadr City. Suicide bombers, these wearing police uniforms, also took advantage of a national police station in the north, as the commandos were out on maneuvers.

Two suicide bombers attacked a Sadr City funeral, leaving 78 dead and 202 wounded. The first bomber stationed an explosives-laden car near a funeral tent in this large district of the capital. A second bomber then walked in before exploding his bombs. A car bombing was also reported in the Jamila neighborhood, but the number of casualties wasn’t reported.

In Baghdad, a bomb killed nine people and wounded 14 more in the Ur neighborhood, near Sadr City. Four people were killed in a shooting at a Adhamiya district liquor store.

Six suicide bombers dressed in SWAT uniforms stormed a police commando headquarters in Baiji, where they killed seven policemen and wounded 21 others. Many of the real commandos stationed there were out on a security operation at the time.

In Mosul, two prison guards were killed at their homes; the one of their mothers was wounded. A roadside bomb killed two soldiers and wounded four more. A soldier was shot dead at a checkpoint. A lawmaker’s home was blown up.

One person was killed and six more were wounded when an I.E.D. exploded near homes and shops in Abu Ghraib.

Gunmen killed one Sahwa member and wounded four more in Shirqat.

Smugglers at the Syrian border killed a captain and wounded two soldiers.

One soldier was killed and another was wounded when an I.E.D. blew up near Falluja.

A clash took place in Hawija, but no casualties were reported.

A bomb targeting the deputy chairman on the Anbar province council exploded in Amiriyat al-Falluja, but no casualties were reported.

Author: Margaret Griffis

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