Iraq attack death toll rises to 84
madaresharghi The death toll has mounted to more than 80 killed in a Daesh-claimed attack in southern Iraq targeting a restaurant frequented by Shia Muslim pilgrims, Iraqi officials said Friday. Eighty-four people were killed and 93 people were injured in the attack in Nasiriyah, in Iraq’s southern Dhiqar province Thursday evening, according to Provincial Gov. […]
The death toll has mounted to more than 80 killed in a Daesh-claimed attack in southern Iraq targeting a restaurant frequented by Shia Muslim pilgrims, Iraqi officials said Friday.
Eighty-four people were killed and 93 people were injured in the attack in Nasiriyah, in Iraq’s southern Dhiqar province Thursday evening, according to Provincial Gov. Yahya al-Nassiri. Among them, eight Iranians were killed and 16 wounded, AP reported.
Nassiri added that the province’s director of intelligence was removed and the Interior Ministry called for him to be investigated.
The attack began as a shooting at a checkpoint and restaurant along the main road that connects the province to Baghdad, followed by two suicide bombers, one driving an explosives-laden car.
It left a trail of destruction, with charred bodies scattered on the ground near the burnt-out wrecks of cars, buses and trucks.
The attack was quickly claimed by the Daesh terror group, which appears to be switching to terrorist attacks after suffering a string of setbacks on the battlefield.
Iraq’s top Shia religious authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani condemned the attack Friday calling on Iraq’s central government and local leaders “to undertake responsibly and professionally the protection of citizens from terrorists.”
UN envoy Jan Kubis condemned the “cowardly twin attacks… which resulted in numerous civilian casualties, including many pilgrims.”