U.S. Condemns Bombings Across Iraq During Eid

Iraq has been hit by a wave of apparent sectarian bombings during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The United States has condemned the perpetrators of a wave of deadly bombings in Iraq during the end of Ramadan celebrations as "enemies of Islam."

The U.S. State Department described the August 10 bombings in Iraq as "cowardly" attacks "aimed at families celebrating the Eid al-Fitr" holiday.

Iraqi officials say the attacks killed at least 69 people across the country, just weeks after Al-Qaeda assaults on prisons near Baghdad that freed hundreds of militants.

At least 57 were killed and hundreds injured on August 10 in Baghdad

Iraqi security officials say the deadliest attack targeted an outdoor market in the southeastern suburbs of Baghdad shortly before sunset.

At least 11 more bombs targeted cafes, markets, and restaurants in mainly Shi'ite neighborhoods of the capital.

Those attacks were launched despite increased security patrols to protect people at crowded celebrations marking the end of Ramadan.

In the Shi’ite holy city of Karbala, car bombs on August 10 killed four and wounded 11.

In the Shi’ite-dominated city of Nasiriya, twin car bombs near a park killed six people and wounded 25.

Car bombs also targeted a Shi’ite mosque in the northern city of Kirkuk, killing at least one and wounding five.

The August 10 death toll is the highest in a single day in Iraq since July 20, when the storming of prisons near Baghdad and other attacks killed 71 people.

Authorities say a total of about 670 people were killed during Ramadan this year, making it the bloodiest in Iraq since 2007 when sectarian violence was at its peak.

Recently published Iraqi government figures reveal that the July death toll from violence across the country nearly topped 1,000.

Washington is reiterating its $10 million reward for Al-Qaeda in Iraq's purported leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Thought to be sheltering in Syria, Baghdadi has taken personal credit for orchestrating a series of terrorist attacks in Iraq since 2011.

That includes the recent storming of Abu Ghraib prison, a suicide bombing on Iraq’s Ministry of Justice, and other attacks against Iraqi security forces and citizens.


Based on reports by Reuters, AP, and AFP.