The 2006 Sadr City bombings were a series of car bombs and mortar attacks in Iraq that occurred on 23 November at 15:10 Baghdad time (12:10 Greenwich Mean Time) and ended at 15:55 (12:55 UTC). Six car bombs and two mortar rounds were used in the attack on the Shia slum in Sadr City.[1]
| Sadr City bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Iraqi civil war | |
 | |
| Location | Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq |
| Date | 23 November 2006 15:10 – 15:55 (UTC+3) |
| Target | Shia Sadr City Slum |
Attack type | Car bombs and mortar rounds. |
| Deaths | At least 215 |
| Injured | 140 |
| Perpetrators | Unknown |
Casualties
editThe attacks killed at least 215 people and injured 100 others, making it one of the deadliest sectarian attacks since the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003.[2][3][4] Following the attacks, the Iraqi government placed Baghdad under 24-hour curfew beginning at 20:00 Baghdad time (17:00 UTC), shut down Baghdad International Airport to commercial traffic, and closed the docks and airport in Basra, Iraq. The curfew was lifted on 27 November.[5][6]
Timing of the attacks
editThe attacks occurred while residents of Sadr City were commemorating the life of Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr.[7] Al-Sadr was killed by the former Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein in February 1999.
On 16 November 2006, an arrest warrant for Harith al-Dari, a prominent Sunni cleric, was issued in Baghdad.[8] Moqtada al-Sadr, the son of Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr and a controversial figure in his own right, called out on Friday for al-Dari to issue fatwas prohibiting the killing of Shiites, membership in "al Qaeda or any other organization that has made (Shiites) their enemies," and expressing support for the restoration of the Imam Ali Shrine. When al-Dari has done this, Sadr says he will oppose the arrest warrant against him.[9]
Perpetrators
editNo organization has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Sadrist politician Ali al-Shemari alleged that the attack was orchestrated by insurgents affiliated with the Iraqi Ba'ath party.[10]
References
edit- ^ Attack on Baghdad Shiite slum kills 160– Yahoo! News Archived 11 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Bombs kill 138 in Baghdad's Sadr City– CNN Archived 29 October 2007 at archive.today
- ^ "Baghdad curfew after bombing wave". 24 November 2006. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ "Iraqi militias take fiery revenge for slaughter". NBC News. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ "Bombs, mortars in Shiite slum kill at least 161". NBC News. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ Curfew lifted but tension high in Baghdad Archived 17 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine – Reuters, 27 November 2006
- ^ Wright, Robin (25 November 2006). "U.S. Says Violence Is Meant To Topple Iraqi Government". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ "TIME.com: Iraqi Arrest Warrant Revives a Sunni Cleric's Fortunes -- Page 1". 21 November 2006. Archived from the original on 21 November 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ Sunni leader must stop the bloodshed, says Sadr Archived 15 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine – Australian Broadcasting Corporation 24 November 2006
- ^ "Devastating blasts hit Sadr City". 23 November 2006. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
External links
edit- Martin Smith; Marcela Gaviria (17 April 2007). "Gangs of Iraq". Frontline. USA: Public Broadcasting Service.