Iraq suicide bombings: 37 dead, 62 wounded

The death toll from an attack on a Shiite shrine north of Baghdad has risen to 37, with 62 people wounded, Iraqi officials said

Baghdad: The death toll from an attack on a Shiite shrine north of Baghdad has risen to 37, with 62 people wounded, Iraqi officials said. The assault on the revered shrine comes less than a week after a bombing in central Baghdad claimed by ISIS killed at least 186 people, fuelling anger at the Iraqi government’s security failings.

Iraqi policemen inspect Sayyid Mohammed shrine in Baghdad after the attack. Pic/AFP

The attack began with a volley of mortar fire on Sayyid Mohammed shrine and a nearby market in Balad, late Thursday night. A suicide bomber first targeted policemen guarding the shrine’s entrance, allowing a second bomber to push into the courtyard with nine gunmen, who targeted security forces and civilians gathered inside to celebrate Eid. A third bomber was killed before he detonated his explosives, police said. Hospital officials confirmed the death toll.

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