At least 30 killed in attack on mosque in Iraq

Published August 22, 2014
— File photo
— File photo

BAGHDAD: At least 30 people were killed when a Muslim militia opened fired inside an Iraqi Sunni mosque in the country's eastern Diyala province on Friday, an Iraqi security source said.

The security source said at least 30 bodies had arrived at the hospital in the city of Baquba in Diyala province.

Witnesses said the death toll from the attack was higher, but it was not immediately possible to verify the reports.

Such sectarian violence could hurt efforts by Iraq's new prime minister, moderate Shia Haider al-Abadi, to form a government that can unite Iraqis against Islamic State, the Sunni militants who have seized large parts of the country.

Ambulances transported the bodies to the town of Baquba, the main town in Diyala province, where militias are powerful and act with impunity.

Attacks on mosques are acutely sensitive and have in the past unleashed a deadly series of revenge killings and counter attacks in Iraq, where violence has returned to the levels of 2006-2007, the peak of a sectarian civil war.

Opinion

Editorial

Tribunal delays
30 Apr, 2025

Tribunal delays

IS justice to be delayed till such time that it becomes meaningless? At least that is the impression one gleans from...
Missing growth
30 Apr, 2025

Missing growth

PAKISTAN faces a paradox: its economy has been stabilising but growth remains elusive. The ‘feel good’ part of...
Info wars
Updated 30 Apr, 2025

Info wars

Indian state and media would do well to adopt a more rational approach, and stop spreading anti-Pakistan hatred.
Canal consensus
Updated 29 Apr, 2025

Canal consensus

There is urgent need for such high-level engagement and consultation, especially considering climate-related crises Pakistan faces.
Incursions thwarted
29 Apr, 2025

Incursions thwarted

THE military’s media wing has released details of infiltration attempts by terrorists based in Afghanistan, saying...
Pension reforms
29 Apr, 2025

Pension reforms

The federal government has finally notified another pension reform that requires retired public servants rehired by...