Woman suicide bomber targets Iraq football fans 14/06/2008 - 18:02:52
A woman suicide bomber targeted soccer fans near a cafe north of Baghdad as they were celebrating Iraq’s win in a World Cup qualifying game, police said today.
At least 34 people were wounded when the woman detonated her explosives belt as she walked toward the crowd emerging from the cafe in Qara Tappah after Iraq’s 2-1 win over China in an away game, police said.
More casualties were prevented because a policeman spotted the detonator and screamed at the crowd to disperse.
Seven of the wounded were policemen and 27 were civilians.
Qara Tappah is a mainly Kurdish and Shiite Turkomen city, about 75 miles north-east of Baghdad.
Earlier today, Iraqis danced in the streets and fired guns in the air to welcome their national team’s victory.
Dozens of people – most young men and children – waved Iraqi flags and chanted “Long live Iraq” and “Bring on the cup, bring it on,” a traditional soccer song.
Iraq beat China 2-1 in an away game with a first-half goal by Emad Ridha and the winner by Nashat Akram midway through the second half.
The celebrations were reminiscent on a smaller scale of the joy brought on by Iraq’s run to victory in the prestigious 2007 Asian Cup.
Mohammed Haider, a 36-year-old Oil Ministry employee, said the victory provided a welcome respite from fears of violence and concerns about power shortages and other troubles that persist despite recent security gains.
“Soccer is the only thing that unites the Iraqi people. We needed this soccer victory to remind us that we are still one nation,” he said.
Hospital officials said at least 17 people were wounded in celebratory gunfire in Baghdad after many fans ignored official warnings against it.
But the shooting was muted in Baghdad’s Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City, compared to past soccer victories, due to an ongoing military operation that has led to an increased presence of Iraqi security forces.
“Despite our misery in Sadr City, we came out in the streets to celebrate the victory. We are happy now because we have forgotten for a while our sad situation,” said Ibrahim Karim, a 44-year-old engineer.
HOME PAGE
ARCHIVES
|