Iraq suffered its deadliest day of the year on Monday with some 89 killed and more than 300 injured in dozens of coordinated attacks across the country. Militants used car bombs, roadside bombs and shootings to carry out the violence, targeting Iraqi security officials and civilians alike. In the final reported attack late Monday night, gunmen dressed in military uniforms pulled seven people out of Sunni mosque south of Baghdad and shot them all execution-style. No group has claimed official responsibility for the violence, but a recording posted on an al-Qaeda-linked website last week indicated the group was planning a wide-scale attack. The assaults marked the first major act of violence since Iraqi officials announced they would begin talks on keeping U.S. forces in Iraq beyond the scheduled withdrawal date of December 31.
89 Killed in Iraq’s Deadliest Day of 2011
HeadlineAug 16, 2011