2009 Taza bombing

Mass murder in Iraq

20 June 2009 Taza bombing

Taza

The attack occurred in Taza, Iraq.

Location| Taza, Iraq
Coordinates| 35°18′12″N 44°19′51″E﻿ / ﻿35.30333°N 44.33083°E﻿ / 35.30333; 44.33083
Date| 20 June 2009 (2009-06-20)
Target| Shia Muslims

Attack type

| Suicide attack
(Remote detonation possible)
Weapons| Explosives
Deaths| 73[1][2]
Injured| 254[1]
Motive| Anti-Shi'a sentiment

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List of bombings during the Iraq War

‡ indicates attacks resulting in over 100 deaths
§ indicates the deadliest attack in the Iraq War
This list only includes major attacks.

2003
1st Baghdad
2nd Baghdad
Najaf
3rd Baghdad
1st Nasiriyah
1st Karbala

2004
‡ 1st Erbil
‡ Ashoura
1st Basra
1st Mosul
4th Baghdad
5th Baghdad
Karbala & Najaf
1st Baqubah
Kufa
Marez

2005
Suwaira bombing
‡ 1st Al Hillah
2nd Erbil
‡ Musayyib
6th Baghdad
‡ 7th Baghdad
1st Balad
Khanaqin

2006
‡ Karbala-Ramadi
1st Samarra
8th Baghdad
9th Baghdad
‡ 10th Baghdad

2007
11th Baghdad
12th Baghdad
‡ 13th Baghdad
14th Baghdad
15th Baghdad
‡ 2nd Al Hillah
‡ 1st Tal Afar
16th Baghdad
17th Baghdad
2nd & 3rd Karbala
2nd Mosul
‡ 18th Baghdad
Makhmour
Abu Sayda
2nd Samarra
19th Baghdad
‡ Amirli
1st Kirkuk
20th Baghdad
21st Baghdad
§ Qahtaniya
Amarah

2008
22nd Baghdad
2nd Balad
23rd Baghdad
4th Karbala
24th Baghdad
Karmah
2nd Baqubah
Dujail
Balad Ruz

2009
25th Baghdad
26th Baghdad
Baghdad-Muqdadiyah
Taza
27th Baghdad
2nd Kirkuk
2nd Tal Afar
‡ 28th Baghdad
‡ 29th Baghdad
‡ 30th Baghdad

2010
31st Baghdad
32nd Baghdad
3rd Baqubah
33rd Baghdad
34th Baghdad
35th Baghdad
‡ 1st Pan-Iraq
36th Baghdad
37th Baghdad
2nd Pan-Iraq
38th Baghdad
39th Baghdad
‡ 40th Baghdad

2011
41st Baghdad
‡ 3rd Pan-Iraq
Karbala-Baghdad
42nd Baghdad
Tikrit
3rd Al Hillah
3rd Samarra
Al Diwaniyah
Taji
4th Pan-Iraq
43rd Baghdad
4th Karbala
44th Baghdad
2nd Basra
45th Baghdad

The 20 June 2009 Taza bombing was an attack which took place in Taza near Kirkuk, Iraq on 20 June 2009 in a dominant Shia Turkmen community. At least 73 people[2][3][4] were killed and over 200 more were injured.[1] Thirty homes were destroyed in the bombing.[1]

The bombing was the worst attack in Iraq since March 2008,[5] even worse than the twin 23 April 2009 Iraqi suicide attacks in Baghdad and Muqdadiyah.[6]

## Incident

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The attack took place in a residential area near a mosque, as a result destroying several homes and slightly damaging the mosque.[7] Mud-brick homes in the vicinity of the explosion collapsed,[7] with the explosion leaving a deep crater at the point of detonation.[7]

Following midday prayers, people were exiting the crowded Al-Rasoul mosque in Taza town when the explosion occurred.[7] Those who were affected were removed to Azadi Hospital in Kirkuk, with children being placed in wards.[7] Thirty-five-year-old Hussain Nashaat was wrapped in bandages when he spoke to reporters: "I was sitting in my house when suddenly a powerful blast shook the ground under me. I found myself covered in blood and ran outside in a daze. My lovely neighborhood was just rubble."[5] People were buried alive.[6]

Shortly after the bombing, the Kurdistan Regional Government, under orders from the Iraqi ministry of defence, started a 15-day operation "to follow terrorists and criminals in Kirkuk Province surroundings".[8] 13 days later a high-ranking officer reported that "during a joint raid by Iraqi military forces alongside US troops in Haweja town, Mahdi Salih a terrorist was arrested who was the Kirkuk two blasts mastermind on 20 June"[9]

In December, Adnan Jassim Ali al-Hamdani, Walid Mahmoud Mohammed al-Hamdani and Hawas Falah al-Juburi were convicted and sentenced to death for helping to plan the attack.[10]

## Perpetrators

[edit]

Perpetrators are not identified. Western media, like Reuters, hinted at “…Sunni Islamist insurgents, including al Qaeda…”.[5]

## Reaction

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* Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called the bombing an "ugly crime" which was "an attempt to harm security and stability and spread mistrust of the Iraqi forces".[7]
* the Kurdistan Regional Government president Massoud Barzani condemned the bombings by saying: this coward act aims to disturb fraternity, peace and peaceful coexistence among the various constituents in Iraq and we for our part strongly condemn this criminal act.[11]
* Turkey's Foreign Ministry criticised the bombing and issued a statement expressing "profound sorrow". The statement said: "Turkey attaches great importance to the efforts to ensure peace and stability in Iraq and to provide a peaceful atmosphere among different ethnic and religious groups in Kirkuk. We strongly condemn this heinous attack. We want to reiterate once again that Turkey is opposed to all kinds of terrorism and the Turkish people sympathize with Iraqi people who lost their beloved ones in the attack. We are ready to take in those who were injured in the attack for medical treatment. We are taking all kinds of measures including dispatch of an ambulance helicopter to Iraq."[12]
* The Turkmen Front announced three days of mourning and called for an "immediate investigation... and for the criminals to be brought to justice".[13]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "67 killed in Iraq mosque bombing". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 20 June 2009. Archived from the original on 21 June 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
2. ^ a b "Iraq bombing death toll rises to 73". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 21 June 2009. Archived from the original on 23 February 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
3. ^ "Death toll from bombing in Iraq reaches 73". Irish Independent. 21 June 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
4. ^ "Death toll from Kirkuk blast rises to 73; UK names 2 hostages killed". The Jordan Times. 21 June 2009. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
5. ^ a b c "Suicide truck bomber kills dozens in northern Iraq". Reuters. 21 June 2009. Archived from the original on 22 June 2009. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
6. ^ a b "Truck Bomb Kills Dozens in Northern Iraq". The New York Times. 20 June 2009. Archived from the original on 10 April 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
7. ^ a b c d e f "'Many dead' in Iraq truck bombing". BBC. 20 June 2009. Archived from the original on 21 June 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
8. ^ "Sulaimani Brigade carries out campaign in Kirkuk surroundings". Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009.[dead link]
9. ^ "Kirkuk recent blasts mastermind arrested". Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. 5 July 2009. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
10. ^ "Three sentenced to death for June Iraq bombing". Reuters. 29 December 2009. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
11. ^ Halgord. "PUKmedia :: English – President Barzani slams Taza terrorist bombing". Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
12. ^ "Turkey condemns bomb attack in Iraq's Kirkuk". Xinhua News Agency. 21 June 2009. Archived from the original on 22 June 2009. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
13. ^ "Iraq truck bomb kills at least 22 near Kirkuk". The Times. Malta. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2011.

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