| 25 August 2010 Iraq bombings | |
|---|---|
| Part ofIraqi insurgency (2003–2011) | |
| Location | AcrossIraq |
| Date | 25 August 2010 (UTC+3) |
| Target | Mostly security services and checkpoints |
Attack type | Suicide bombings,Car bombings, andIEDs |
| Deaths | 53+ |
| Injured | 270+ |
| Perpetrators | Islamic State of Iraq |
On 25 August 2010, a string of attacks inIraqi cities includingAl-Muqdadiya,Kut,Baghdad,Fallujah,Tikrit,Kerbala,Kirkuk,Basra,Ramadi,Dujail,Mosul andIskandariyah targeting mostlyIraqi security forces and checkpoints left at least 53 people dead and more than 270 injured.[1]
Following terms agreed to in theStatus of Forces Agreement between the United States and Iraq, American combat forces were withdrawn from the country leaving less than 50,000 troops in the country. This was the lowest foreign troop count in the country since the2003 Iraq War. There were concerns that the drawdown could lead to a rise inAl Qaeda-linked attacks.[1][2] A scheduled speech by U.S. PresidentBarack Obama will take note of the withdrawal of U.S. forces on the planned date of 31 August; the next day the U.S. mission will officially be renamed 'Operation New Dawn' from 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' in a ceremony at a U.S. base near theBaghdad airport.[3]
The attacks also came amid concern that the2010 Iraqi general election was so inconclusive that a new government had not yet formed nearly six months after 7 March 2010 election date.[1][2][3]
Most insurgents areSunnis, whereas the majority of the population, including the acting Prime Minister, areShias. Quoting what it called a "prominent insurgent website" on the day of the attacks,The New York Times said the Sunni insurgents stated that "the countdown has begun to return Iraq to the embrace of Islam and its Sunnis, with God’s permission."[3]
The attacks were made in 13[clarification needed] cities and spanned the length of Iraq, from Mosul in the north to Basra in the far south of the country. The attacks demonstrated the ability ofinsurgents to make coordinated attacks across the country. The 25 August attacks included a full spectrum of types with over a dozen car bombs, hit-and-run shooting attacks and roadside bombs.[3]
A list of the attacks included:
The Iraqi political leadership alleged that Al Qaeda and the remnants of the Iraqi Baath party carried out the attacks.Islamic State of Iraq organization claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying that during "the month of fasting and jihad [we launched a] new earth-shaking wave [targeting] headquarters, centres and security barriers for the army and apostate police."[7]
Iraqi prime minister,Nouri al-Maliki, issued a statement laying blame for the attacks. "Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and its allies from theBaath party, have once again committed an ugly crime against innocent civilians and the institutions of the state...to destabilise security and shake the confidence in the Iraqi security forces who are getting ready to take over security at the end of this month as the Americans withdraw."[8]
