Location Khan Bani Saad, Iraq Target Shiites Deaths 120–130 | Date 17 July 2015 Weapons Car bomb | |
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Attack type Mass murder, car bomb, suicide attack | ||
A suicide car bombing occurred on 17 July 2015 in the Iraqi city of Khan Bani Saad, targeting a local marketplace. As of 19 July 2015 approximately 130 people were killed in the bombing, with a similar number of injured. Several people were killed by collapsed buildings. The bomb was hidden under an ice truck in an attempt to attract more people amid the heat. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
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Background
Prior to the attack, Iraqi officials had declared victory over ISIL in the Diyala Governorate where Khan Bani Saad is located after local forces and Shiite paramilitaries drove the ISIL members out of towns and villages. Insurgents, however, remained active in the governorate.
Bombing
According to two local police officials, the bomber announced he was selling ice and offering a discount because of the Eid al-Fitr holiday. As the air temperature was around 35 °C (95 °F), the announcement attracted people to his ice truck. The attacker then detonated a bomb, killing himself and between 120 and 130 people and injuring at least 130 more. Fifteen children were among the dead. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the ISIL, which in a Twitter statement wrote that the attack had been conducted in response to the killing of Sunni Muslims in Hawija, and that 3 tonnes (6,600 pounds) of explosives had been used in the attack.
Aftermath
In addition to those killed, 20 people were reported missing after the attack. Several buildings collapsed after the blast, crushing some people. Police major Ahmed al-Tamimi assessed the damage as "devastating". The authorities of Diyala Governorate, where Khan Bani Saad is located, declared three days of mourning and cancelled Eid al-Fitr festivities.