Across the world, people are mourning a string of attacks that have killed hundreds of people in Iraq, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia during the final days of the holy month of Ramadan. The deadliest attack occurred in Baghdad early Sunday morning, when more than 200 people were killed when a suicide truck bomb exploded in a busy shopping district. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Iraq since the 2003 U.S. invasion. ISIS has claimed responsibility. Many of the victims were children and families who had gathered to shop for new clothes for this week’s Eid al-Fitr celebration, which marks the end of Ramadan. On Sunday, a local resident decried the bombing.
Ali Mohammed: “Is this Eid? Every Eid, we celebrate. Is this our Eid? Is this our Eid? Is this our Eid that everybody celebrates? Is this the Eid we should celebrate? People came to buy clothes to celebrate Eid. Now they are buying coffins. They’re buying coffins. May God punish those who are responsible.”
More than two days after the attacks, the death toll continues to rise as more and more bodies are discovered in the rubble. Today, Iraqi Major General Kadim Sahban spoke about the recovery effort.
Major General Kadim Sahban: “We are still searching for dead bodies. Today, we were able to exhume remains, and we will continue searching for human remains at the scene. We found documents and mobiles belonging to victims.”