ISIS have claimed responsibility for a truck bomb attack south of the Iraqi capital which killed around 100 people, mostly Shia pilgrims.
Massive Car #Blast Kills 21 People South of #Iraq’s #Baghdad, #ISIS Claims Responsibility
– https://t.co/kD5SGgWSCe pic.twitter.com/Ss73CweOFL— #Alalam (@AlalamChannel) November 24, 2016
According to security sources, a truck loaded with explosives went off on Thursday at a gas station in the city of Hilla southeast of the capital Baghdad.
Reports say most of the victims were Iranian nationals.
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More photos emerge from gas station bombing near Hilla, south of #Baghdad.
Death toll now over 80 mostly Iranians, #Iran state TV says. pic.twitter.com/jZdAIl6rvh— Amin Khorami (@aminismyname) November 24, 2016
Officials say the target of the attack appears to have been a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims who were heading home after taking part in a major Shiite religious observance in the holy city of Karbala.
Press TV reports:
The incident occurred at a time when buses packed with Shia pilgrims were parked at the gas station. The people were returning from Arba’een mourning rituals in the holy city of Karbala.
“At least seven buses with pilgrims were inside the petrol station at the time,” an unnamed police lieutenant colonel told AFP.
AFP also quoted an unnamed police intelligence source as saying that “those buses were loaded with Iranians, Bahrainis and Iraqis. Ambulances and civil defense are on their way to the site.”
The Takfiri Daesh terrorist group claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing.
In recent weeks, Daesh has resorted to similar acts of violence in areas outside its control in a desperate attempt to undermine a large Iraqi battle aimed at liberating the northern city of Mosul, the terror group’s last remaining foorhold in the country.
Niamh Harris
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