26th June, 2015
Over 10 people were killed or wounded on Friday in a suicide bomb strike on a Shiite Muslim mosque, with Islamic State (IS) militant group claiming responsibility for the attack.
Local media said a blast rocked the Imam Sadiq Mosque, located in the busy neighbourhood of al-Sawabir of the capital city.
The report also confirmed that there were a number of casualties and injuries but did not give exact figures.
The police cordoned off the mosque and the surrounding area and asked residents to stay away from the site while ambulances were seen ferrying the wounded.
The IS group has claimed the deadly attack in a statement posted on the Internet, saying that the suicide bomber’s name was Abu Suleiman al-Muwahed.
It said the target was a “temple of the rejectionists,” which refers to Shiite Muslims by the extremist militants.
If proven to be true, then it is not the first IS would plot and carry out such attacks against mosques.
It has claimed responsibility for bombings at two different Shiite mosques in neighbouring Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.
On March 20, IS suicide bombers also attacked two mosques in Yemen’s capital Sanaa and Houthi headquarters in the northern Saada province, killing at least 137 people.
Causalities are expected to grow as Friday’s midday prayers have always been the most attended of the week.
The number of people joining the prayers is expected to be on the increase during Muslims’ holy month of Ramadan that started on June 18.