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Car bomb kills at least 80 including children in Iraqi town of Khan Bani Saad Car bomb kills at least 80 including children in Iraqi town of Khan Bani Saad
(34 minutes later)
A car bomb killed at least 80 people including children in a busy market in an Iraqi town on Friday, in one of the deadliest attacks since Islamic State militants overran large parts of the country. At least 80 people, including children, have been killed by a car bomb in the Iraqi town of Khan Bani Saad, where people had gathered to celebrate Eid al-Fitr.
The force of the blast in Khan Bani Saad, about 30 km (20 miles) northeast of Baghdad, brought down several buildings, crushing people who were celebrating the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, police and medics said. In one of the deadliest attacks since Isis extremists seized large swathes of the country, several buildings were brought to the ground.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, but Islamic State militants who control large parts of northern and western Iraq have previously carried out attacks in the mixed eastern province of Diyala where Khan Bani Saad is located. A number of people who had gathered together to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan were crushed in the collapse, according to police officers and medics.
Angry crowds went on the rampage after the explosion, smashing the windows of cars parked in the street in grief and anger. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Isis extremists have previously launched attacks in Diyala province where Khan Bani Saad is situated.
“Some people were using vegetable boxes to collect children's body parts,” said police major Ahmed al-Tamimi from the site of the explosion, describing the damage to the market as “devastating”. Police major Ahmed al-Tamimi described the scene as “devastating”.
An officer from the Diyala police command said rescue crews were still retrieving bodies from under the debris and the death toll could rise further. “Some people were using vegetable boxes to collect children's body parts,” he said.
The Diyala provincial government declared three days' mourning and ordered all parks and entertainment places to close for the rest of the Eid ul-Fitr holiday to avoid further attacks. Crowds consumed by grief and anger over the attack smashed the windows of cars parked in the street.
Reuters It is feared the death toll could yet climb, as rescue teams worked to retrieve the remains of the victims from under the rubble, an officer from the Diyala police command told Reuters.
Ramadan is an important time of celebration for Muslims, and marks the end of a month of fasting.
The occasion sees families and loved ones wear their best clothes and gather to give thanks and to eat their first daylight meal in a month.
However, Diyala provincial government declared three days' mourning and ordered all parks and entertainment places to close for the rest of the Eid ul-Fitr holiday to avoid further attacks.
Additional reporting by Reuters