Iran Condemns Recent Bombing in Iraq

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham on Monday strongly condemned the recent violence in Iraq, specially the yesterday bombing which resulted in the death of a large number of people in the Muslim country’s Babel province.

“Iran strongly condemns the yesterday terrorist act in Iraq’s Babel province that killed a large number of innocent people,” Afkham said on Monday.

The spokeswoman further expressed sympathy for the Iraqi government and nation over continued violence and crimes in Iraq, and described the heinous phenomenon of terrorism a global threat.

The Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman expressed the hope that the international community would take “collective action to launch comprehensive and sincere campaign against the devilish phenomenon of terrorism”.

A suicide bomber driving a minibus packed with explosives killed at least 32 people and wounded 147 on Sunday in the Southern Iraqi city of Hilla in Babel province, police and medical sources said.

The attacker approached a main checkpoint at a Northern entrance to the largely Shiite Muslim city and detonated the minibus, a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

At least 50 cars were set ablaze with passengers trapped inside and part of the checkpoint complex was destroyed, the officer said.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, but suicide bombings are a trademark of Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups.

“I was sitting inside my kiosk when suddenly a horrible blast threw me outside and hurled my groceries up in the air. I saw cars set ablaze with people burning inside,” said Abu Nawar, owner of a makeshift kiosk made of palm tree leaves near the checkpoint.

Bombings and other attacks killed almost 8,000 civilians in Iraq in 2013, the worst period for the country since 2008.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which is in charge of a major part of terrorist operations in Syria as well, has been behind many of the bombings. The Iraqi government is battling the militant group in the Western province of Anbar, where the group holds territory in the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi.