Deaths At least 42 Start date March 17, 2008 | Non-fatal injuries 58 Attack type Suicide attack People also search for 2008 Balad bombing | |
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The 2008 Karbala bombing occurred on 17 March 2008 in Karbala, Iraq.
Contents
The suicide bomb detonated outside a cafe near the shrine. The bombings killed at least 42 people and injured 58. The dead include seven Iranians.
Background
Karbala is a city in central Iraq, 80 km (50 mi) south of Baghdad. It is home to the Imam Husayn Shrine, one of the holiest sites of Shiite Islam. The city had seen several other suicide bombs in the past, including one in April 2007 that killed about 100 people.
There were two other insurgent attacks the day of the bombing, including a mortar attack and several suicide bombs, both in Baghdad. The attacks coincided with a visit by US Vice President Dick Cheney.
Perpetrator
No group has claimed responsibility. Iraqi officials suspected al-Qaeda insurgents behind the bombing. The governor of Karbala province said the bomber had been a woman but gave few other details.