Double hotel bombing strikes Iraqi capital
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Version 0 of 1. BAGHDAD — A coordinated bomb attack hit two of the Iraqi capital’s most upmarket hotels Thursday night in a strike at targets frequented by foreigners and wealthy Iraqis. Two cars rigged with explosives blew up within minutes of each other around midnight Thursday, a security official said. At least 15 people were killed and 42 injured, the Associated Press reported. No group immediately asserted responsibility for the bombings, but Islamic State militants have frequently attacked the Iraqi capital, with bombings on the rise in recent weeks. If the extremist group asserts responsibility, the double bombing would be one of its most high-profile attacks in the capital since the group swept to power in much of the country’s north last summer. Islamic State bombings normally target Shiite neighborhoods of the city, striking restaurants and busy shopping streets. The first explosion hit the Babylon Hotel in the Jadriya neighborhood, facing the U.S. Embassy and Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone across the Tigris River. Six people died there, police officials told the AP. A car bomb was set off in the hotel’s parking area, said a security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the news media. The Babylon, run by Warwick International Hotels, had recently reopened after a massive refurbishment and boasts a swimming pool and spa. Pictures from the scene showed wreckage, with fires burning as canopies used to shade parked cars lay in tatters. The second explosion hit near the Cristal Grand Ishtar, a prominent feature of Baghdad’s skyline and formerly the city’s Sheraton hotel. Four people died there, police officials told AP. The hotel also overlooks the Tigris, from the central neighborhood of Karrada. Thick black smoke snaked into the night sky as gunfire rang out and ambulance sirens wailed. Sunni extremist groups have a history of attacking the Iraqi capital’s most prominent hotels. In 2010, the Babylon and the Sheraton were hit in a coordinated bomb attack. The Hamra Hotel, which is frequented by journalists, also was targeted in that attack, and at least 36 people were killed. Iraqi security officials have linked the pace of bombings in Baghdad to the pressure on Islamic State militants on the battlefield. Iraqi security forces and Shiite militias are set to launch an offensive to retake the western city of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, increasing pressure on the group. |