Iraqis denounce terrorist attacks in Anbar and Basra

By Mohammed al-Qaisi in Basra and Ali al-Jubouri in Anbar
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-08-09

[Azhar Shallal/AFP/Getty Images] Iraqis survey the damage of a car bomb in Fallujah.

Hundreds of Iraqi citizens assembled in the streets of Ramadi and Basra Monday (August 9th) to denounce the terrorist attacks that killed and wounded hundreds of civilians on Saturday and Sunday (August 7th and 8th).

Iraqi citizens chanted slogans condemning al-Qaeda and promised a popular response to combat terrorist groups in Iraq.

Iraqi officials blamed al-Qaeda for the attacks.

In Basra, series of coordinated explosions target fleeing citizens

Three explosions in central Basra Saturday evening killed at least 43 civilians and wounded 158 others, according to Lt. Col. Falah al-Basri of Basra police.

The first attack came from an improvised explosive device at the entrance of Abdullah Ben Ali Street -- a popular street crowded with shoppers, patients, and pregnant women visiting medical clinics.

"The first blast led to the burning of a lot of commercial stores and sparked a wave of panic and fear among citizens," al-Basri said.

The scores of citizens who survived the first attack ran away from the scene of the explosion but were met with a car bomb explosion on the other side of the street.

Those who remained tried to escape through a side road, but another car bomb exploded in their path.

Some of the wounded remain in critical condition. They are mostly women, children, and merchants, al-Basri said.

"After seeing the spectacle of blood and destruction in the market, which is considered one of the best places in terms of security and beauty, we can say that al-Qaeda was here," al-Basri said.

Fawzi Abdul Ameer, 42, owner of a mobile phone store in al-Ashar in central Basra, said people will continue to resist al-Qaeda.

"We have lost friends and loved ones in these poisonous attacks. However, we have not lost our desire to eliminate the terrorists," Abdul Ameer said.

"All the Iraqi sects have been united against terrorism," he said. "This is because the street includes Sunnis, Shias, Christians, Arabs, and Kurds, and we are all fighting against terrorism."

Capt. Nehad Fadhil of the Iraqi Army in Basra vowed to bring the attackers to justice.

"It will not take long to reach those who carried out the attack. There are important tips that will lead us to arrest the criminals before the blood of victims dries on the sidewalks," he said. "This is a promise that will be realised soon."

Anbar car bombs kill shoppers and children

In Anbar province, Iraqi police said 17 Iraqis were killed and 64 were wounded Sunday (August 8th) in three car bomb attacks targeting popular markets full of citizens in Fallujah, al-Saqlawia, and Ramadi.

Lt. Col. Bassil al-Zawbaei of the anti-terrorism unit in Anbar Operations Command told Mawtani that the first attack was involved a car bomb that a terrorist left behind after stealing large quantities of jewelry and currency from a local trader's house in Fallujah.

The explosion killed three Iraqis and wounded seven others, including five children.

Another car bomb driven by a suicide bomber exploded at a local market selling poultry, pets, and vegetables at al-Saqlawia district, north of Fallujah. A security guard was killed in the blast and seven others were wounded, including three women, a two-year-old girl, and two security guards.

Al-Zawbaei said another car bomb driven by a suicide bomber exploded in the middle of an intersection in Ramadi near a popular market, a movie theatre, a gas station, and a building belonging to the facilities protection directorate. The attack killed 13 people and wounded 50 others.

"The last attack left behind six small, burnt bodies of children who had just come out of a summer course to train in the use of computers and learn English. This is in addition to three women and a number of civilians and military personnel," said Mohannad al-Dulaimi, spokesperson for Anbar Health Directorate.

Anbar police chief Maj. Gen. Bahaa al-Karkhi vowed a "violent and quick response" to these attacks.

"This desperate attack will have only one response: to arrest those who carried it out and to bring them to justice as soon as possible," he said.

Al-Karkhi accused al-Qaeda and remnants of terrorist groups of involvement in the attack, saying that "initial investigations enabled us to identify three individuals suspected of involvement in these operations. They were arrested just one hour after the terrorist attacks that rocked Anbar."

"The terrorists are declaring a new war on children, women, and on life itself," said Farida Mansour, 53, a resident of Fallujah. "They want to kill all forms of life in Iraq. Therefore, a popular war led by Iraqis must be declared against al-Qaeda."

"We will fight the terrorists using any and every thing we have," she said. "It's a matter of life and death."

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