Non-fatal injuries 105+ Location Iskandariya, Iraq Attack type Suicide attack | Date 25 March 2016 Total number of deaths 41 | |
Perpetrators Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (claimed) Perpetrator Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (claimed) | ||
A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd after a local football game in the village of al-Asriya, near Iskandariya in the Babil Governorate, in a mixed Sunni-Shiite area on 25 March 2016. The bombing killed at least 41 people and wounded more than 105. The Mayor Ahmed Shaker was among those killed in the explosion; he succumbed to his wounds in a hospital. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for attack, claiming those targeted were members of the Popular Mobilization Forces.
The bombing occurred as trophies were being presented after a football tournament. According to eyewitnesses, the bomber went through the crowd to approach the centre and blew himself up during the mayor's presentation of the awards. Many of the victims were young boys; according to an Iraqi official, at least 17 boys between the ages of 10 and 16 were killed.