More than a dozen civilians have lost their lives in a powerful bomb explosion that ripped through a residential neighborhood in Iraq’s central province of Karbala.
The Euphrates Operations Command said in a statement released on Monday that the incident took place in the town of Ayn Tamer, located 120 kilometers (74.5 miles) west of the provincial capital city of Karbala, the previous night, when five terrorists clad in explosives-laden vests attacked a wedding ceremony.
One of the assailants hurled hand grenades at the site, fired gunshots from a Kalashnikov rifle, and blew himself up at last.
Iraqi security forces managed to gun down the four remaining attackers before they could inflict more causalities.
The provincial health directorate said at least 18 people were killed in the act of violence, while at least 26 others were wounded.
No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the assault yet.
The latest figures released by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq show a total of 759 Iraqis were killed and 1,207 others were injured in violence and armed conflict last month.
According to the UN mission, the number of civilian fatalities stood at 629. Violence also claimed the lives of 130 members of Iraqi security forces.
A great portion of the fatalities was recorded in Baghdad, where 513 civilians were killed.
The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh began an offensive in Iraqi territory in June 2014. Iraqi army soldiers and fighters from Popular Mobilization Units are seeking to win back militant-held regions in joint operations.
source : abna24
