April 2013 Baghdad café bombing explained

18 April 2013 Baghdad bombing
Partof:Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal)
Location:Baghdad, Iraq
Date:18 April 2013
Type:Suicide bombing
Fatalities:27
Injuries:65

On 18 April 2013, a suicide bombing in a Baghdad cafe killed 27 people and injured another 65. A suicide bomber set off his explosive belt inside the cafe on the evening of 18 April 2013. The establishment was packed with young people enjoying water pipes and playing pool.[1] [2] [3] [4]

Background

Violence in Iraq has decreased since its peak in 2006–07, but attacks remain common.[5] Deaths rose in 2012 for the first time in three years.

In the months leading up to the 20 April provincial elections, the first since the withdrawal of US forces in 2011, tensions were high in Iraq as Sunni groups claimed they were being marginalized by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite dominated government.[6] A number of large scale attacks linked to the Sunni umbrella group Islamic State of Iraq were carried out in early 2013 in an attempt to destabilize the country ahead of the elections.[5] At least fourteen election candidates have been murdered, while Anbar and Nineveh provinces have postponed elections because of security concerns.[7] Four other provinces are not scheduled to hold elections on 20 April.[8]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Iraq violence: Baghdad cafe hit by deadly bomb attack . BBC News . 18 April 2013 . 22 April 2013 . 3 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171203183852/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22209841 . live .
  2. News: Tawfeeq . Mohammed . Botelho . Greg . Blast in popular Baghdad coffee shop kills at least 27 . 19 April 2013 . CNN . 22 April 2013 . 17 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170917124855/http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/18/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?iref=allsearch . live .
  3. News: Dozens killed in Baghdad cafe explosion . Al Jazeera . 19 April 2013 . 22 April 2013 . 17 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170917123612/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/04/2013418195828801524.html . live .
  4. News: Raheem . Kareem . Baghdad suicide bomb blast at Internet cafe kills 27 . Thomson Reuters . 18 April 2013 . 22 April 2013 . 7 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160307110219/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-violence-idUSBRE93H14A20130418 . live .
  5. News: Iraq deadly bombings hit Nasariyah, Kirkuk and Baghdad. 15 April 2013. BBC. 16 April 2013. 16 April 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130416013851/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22149863. live.
  6. News: Many dead in serial blasts in Iraq – Middle East. Al Jazeera. 15 April 2013. 16 April 2013. 6 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200906175525/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/04/201341562946963175.html. live.
  7. News: Car Bombs Kill 5 in Iraq. 16 April 2013. Voice of America. 16 April 2013. 19 April 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130419025642/http://www.voanews.com/content/car-bombs-kill-5-in-iraq/1642280.html. live.
  8. News: Iraq bombings kill six . AFP . 16 April 2013 . 16 April 2013 .