Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, was rocked in a major bomb blast, the most severe one since 2007. The attack happened on Sunday, July 3rd, 2016 at a bustling market known as a Shia Muslim dominated area. Many killed were women and children, considering they were shopping ahead of the celebration of Eid, to take place on Thursday. Reports say that complete families were killed. As of today, official reports have stated that a total of 225 people have died since Sunday.
According to witnesses, a truck full of explosives was detonated in the Karrada district, with people dying on the spot, and hundreds injured, many severely burnt. So far, ISIS has claimed responsibility for the bombing, though this is not an isolated violent attack on public. ISIS has been at the helm of blasts on their “home land” as well as abroad. However, it seemed extremely unlikely that any killings would happen during the holy month of Ramadan, as those of the faith believe that this is the time to get closest to God by fasting for 30 days during the day and only consuming water and eatables between sunset and sunrise. However, for the perpetrators, it seems that they used this religious time to wreck havoc on innocents and kill people in the hundreds.
Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi was met with an angry mob after he visited the site of the bomb blast. He promised that security would tighten around the country, this being said after fake bomb detectors were sold in the thousands that turned out to be cheap machines for detecting golf balls.
At the moment, rubble is still being cleared at the site, with black banners put up displaying the details of victims. Officials said that individuals who had earlier been caught in connection with terrorists would soon be executed for crimes against the State.
