Deadly explosions hit Sunni mosque in Iraq
Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
Publication Date | 20 September 2013 |
Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Deadly explosions hit Sunni mosque in Iraq, 20 September 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5261036b14.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 20, 2013
Twin explosions have reportedly struck inside a Sunni mosque in Samarra, killing at least 18 people.
Mizhar Fleih, a municipal official in the city of Samarra, said the attack occurred around midday during Friday Prayers.
Hospital officials said at least 15 people were wounded.
Samarra, 95 kilometers north of Baghdad, is home to the Musab bin Omair Mosque, a revered Shi'ite shrine.
Iraq is weathering its worst bout of violence in half a decade.
Militants have carried out numerous attacks on both Sunni and Shi'ite mosques this year, raising fears of a return to the sectarian strife that peaked in 2006-07 and killed thousands of people.
The February 2006 bombing of a Shi'ite shrine in Samarra itself sparked that wave of violence.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa
Link to original story on RFE/RL website