25 killed in Baghdad suicide bomber attackAugust 24, 2013 - 09:28 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A suicide bomber killed 25 people and wounded more than 50 in Baghdad on Friday, August 23 when he detonated his explosives inside a busy cafe near a park popular with families, police and medical sources said,accoridng to Reuters. It was one of the worst attacks in Iraq since suicide bombers hit the same district two months ago, targeting a Shi'ite mosque and killing 29 worshippers during noon prayers. Friday's bombing took place in al-Qahira, a northern district of the capital that is home to mainly Shi'ite Muslims. Children were among the casualties at the site, which is in an area with cafes and restaurants. The wounded had been taken to four different hospitals, the sources said. "There was a crowd of people, and the suicide bomber detonated himself right inside it. Most of the people were killed or injured by ball bearings from the device," police officer Ahmed Jassim said. His patrol heard the blast and arrived at the site to find people lying dead or injured on the ground in pools of blood. Police hesitated to help the wounded because they feared a second bomb, he said. In a separate attack in central Baghdad, gunmen on motorcycles shot dead four people who were in a car, police and health sources said. Iraqis have suffered extreme violence for years, but since the start of 2013 the intensity of attacks on civilians has dramatically increased. More than 1,000 Iraqis were killed in attacks in July, the worst monthly toll since 2008. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |