2008 Karbala bombing

2008 Karbala bombing
Location of Karbala
LocationKarbala, Iraq
Date17 March 2008 (UTC+3)
Attack type
suicide bomb
DeathsAt least 22
Injured58
PerpetratorsUnknown

The 2008 Karbala bombing occurred on 17 March 2008 in Karbala, Iraq.

The suicide bomb detonated outside a cafe near the shrine.[1] The bombings killed at least 22 people and injured 30.[1] The dead include seven Iranians.[1]

Background[edit]

Karbala is a city in central Iraq, 80 km (50 mi) south of Baghdad.[1] It is home to the Imam Husayn Shrine, one of the holiest sites of Shiite Islam.[1] The city had seen several other suicide bombs in the past, including one in April 2007 that killed about 50 people.[1]

There were two other insurgent attacks the day of the bombing, including a mortar attack and several suicide bombs, both in Baghdad.[1] The attacks coincided with a visit by US Vice President Dick Cheney.[1]

Perpetrator[edit]

No organization has claimed responsibility. Iraqi officials suspected that insurgents affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq carried out the bombing. The governor of Karbala province said the bomber had been a woman but gave few other details.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Dozens killed near Iraqi shrine". BBC News. 2008-03-17. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2008-03-29.