Death toll rises to 40 in Iraq blast, at least 75 wounded - police

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Published time: July 03, 2012 12:11
Edited time: July 03, 2012 17:30

Iraqis gather at the scene following a truck bomb in a crowded market in the central Iraqi city of Diwaniya that killed at least 25 people on July 3, 2012, the latest victims of a spike in nationwide violence medical and security officials said. (AFP Photo/Str)

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Blast, Iraq

Two car bombs in a busy market went off in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniya on Tuesday, killing 40 and wounding at least 75 according to police.

The Diwaniya bombing took place near a mosque, targeting Shi'ite pilgrims, who gather there on their way to Kebala. Police have announced a partial curfew and closed all entrances to the city.

"All of a sudden the explosion happened, I felt the power of the blast, it was so strong, it broke all the glass in my windows," a butcher Ahmed Hassan, 23, told Reuters. His shop was close to where the explosion took place.

"I smelled blood and gunpowder. We even saw body parts on the top of building, we took them down."

Witnesses said the bomb appeared to have been planted in a delivery truck.

The attack is the latest in a series of sectarian violence, according to Reuters reports.

Earlier in the day, two bombs in a vegetable wholesale market killed four people and wounded 29 near the central Iraqi city of Kerbala, hospital and police sources said.

The attacked is also suspected to be targeting Shi'ite pilgrims on their way to Kerbala.

Diwaniya is where shi’ite pilgrims are gathering this week, a stop on their way to Kerbala to celebrate the birthday of one of the most important imams.

A spike in recent attacks has raised fears that the country may slip back into widespread violence between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims.

An Iraqi soldier and people inspect the site of a bomb attack in Kerbala July 3, 2012. (Reuters/Mushtaq Muhammad)

Residents inspect the site of a bomb attack in Kerbala July 3, 2012. (Reuters/Mushtaq Muhammad)

Reuters/Mushtaq Muhammad

Comments (8)

Bassim (unregistered) 03.07.2012 17:03

The Monk (unregistered) wrote in #7
Headline: "Muslim extremists in Mali are pillaging tombs and other sites sacred to Sufis in Timbuktu". Can this be allowed to happen in other countries? Hind sight is 20/20 in Iraq. What was not taken into consideration is the role of Muslim sectarian violence. A poster here said the Koran forbids Muslin against Muslim violence. Well...that does not seem to be taking place around the world. It is not Americans bombing Iraqis...It is Iraqis bombing Iraqis!!! It is Muslims killing other Muslims. The USA gave Iraq a chance at Democratic freedoms. If Islam is working against individual freedoms...it is Islam not the USA at fault. There are tons of articles written by ex CIA operatives, veterans and some investigative reporters like Seymour Hersh and many others who, all, emphasize on the role of the consecutive US admin. into creating, financing and controlling those so called Muslim extremists. One veteran Colonel told the New "York Times" his own experience in Iraq, part of it his seeing of CIA planes bringing some 40 "Mujahideen" Afghans to a US military base in Nasiriiyah (southern Iraqi city) with their machine guns and transporting them in Iraqi licensed buses.........

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The Monk (unregistered) 03.07.2012 15:53

Headline: "Muslim extremists in Mali are pillaging tombs and other sites sacred to Sufis in Timbuktu". Can this be allowed to happen in other countries? Hind sight is 20/20 in Iraq. What was not taken into consideration is the role of Muslim sectarian violence. A poster here said the Koran forbids Muslin against Muslim violence. Well...that does not seem to be taking place around the world. It is not Americans bombing Iraqis...It is Iraqis bombing Iraqis!!! It is Muslims killing other Muslims. The USA gave Iraq a chance at Democratic freedoms. If Islam is working against individual freedoms...it is Islam not the USA at fault.

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TO:African Child (unregistered) 03.07.2012 14:02

We know the U.S citizen will not ask this and similar basic questions to President Obama. It is not part of their tradition. What is critically important is why does the rest of the world continue to listen to U.S calls for more wars and more destabilising of new countries-which means more wars and more misery?

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