SHAFAQNA (Shia News Association) — At least 11 people have been killed in two separate bomb attacks in and around Iraq's capital Baghdad, officials say.
The first blast blew out the front wall of the home of a Shia cleric who was prominent in the southeastern suburb of Wahda, damaging surrounding houses, police and witnesses said.
Nobody was hurt, but minutes later, as locals gathered at the scene, a second bomb exploded, killing 11 people.
Neighbour Nasir Luaibi, awakened from the explosion, rushed to the scene with family members to help.
“We tried to search for survivors when the second blast came,” said Luaibi, a 50-year-old day labourer. His cousin died in the second explosion and three of his nephews were wounded.
A police official said the blasts killed 11 people, including the cleric’s teenage son and daughter, and wounded 25. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release the information. Hospital officials confirmed the deaths.
Another neighbour, Sattar Hassan, was hit in the leg by shrapnel from the second bomb as he searched the debris of the house.
“I fell down and screamed for help,” he said from Zafaraniyah hospital where many of the wounded were taken.
He said he did not know why his neighbours’ house was targeted. “They are nice people who have no quarrel with anybody.”
Shia Muslims have been targeted by recent attacks in Iraq, which authorities have blamed on al-Qaeda-linked Wahhabi militants. —www.shafaqna.com/english/
