Updated on
Summary
The blasts, which appeared to target Shi'ite Muslims taking part in Friday prayers, was a reminder of the capability of militants in Iraq despite an overall drop in violence in the country over the last 18 months. At least 67 were wounded. Shi'ite religious gatherings are a favourite target of Sunni Islamist al Qaeda, which regards Shi'ites as heretics. The group, though greatly weakened in Iraq in the past 18 months, has shown itself still capable of launching devastating attacks. In the worst attack, a car bomb detonated at an outdoor gathering near a mosque in northern Baghdad's Shaab district, killing at least 27 people and wounding 35. One Iraqi man who was present at the gathering said the bomb targeted Iraqi faithful who were outside because the mosque was crowded and overflowing. I saw 15 martyrs, he said.
