Islamic State Kills 130 in Deadly Car Bombing in Iraq

Islamic State Kills 130 in Deadly Car Bombing in Iraq

BAGHDAD, July 18 (UPI) — Nearly 130 people died and an equal number were injured at a crowded Iraqi marketplace after an Islamic State suicide bomber detonated a tanker truck in what is being considered one of the deadliest single attacks in the country in years.

Imad Muthanna, a spokesman for Diyala provincial council, said that in addition to those killed, 20 more people were missing in the Friday night attack. The bomb was so strong it leveled several buildings.

The IS, also known as the ISIS, ISIL and Daesch, said it targeted a gathering of Shiite militias in the city of Khan Bani Saad, in Diyala province. The town is predominantly Shiite.

The IS said three tons of explosives were used. The attack was in revenge for the killing of Sunni Muslims in Hawija, in neighboring Kirkuk province.

“I felt the ground shaking,” said Ahmed al-Timimi, 35, a police officer who was manning a nearby checkpoint and arrived on the scene about 10 minutes after the bombing. “Most of the market was wiped out. Hundreds of cars were burning, and bodies and human organs were everywhere.”