On Friday, 13th of May 2016, three men opened fire at a cafe in Balad, Iraq, killing at least 12 people and injuring many more. The victims included a group of fans of the Real Madrid soccer team. As security forces managed to corner one of the assailants at a nearby market some hours later, the assailant detonated a bomb, killing four Shi’ite militiamen and injuring two more. Afterwards, residents discovered another assailant at a nearby house and burned him alive as soon as they obtained a confession from him.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, or also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack. They noted that they were targeting Shi’ite militiamen, alluding to the sectarian conflict between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims.
Since the three bombings on Wednesday that killed at least 80 people, the public has criticized Iraqi authorities for the lack of strength in security. In response to the incident at the cafe, security forces not only increased surveillance throughout the town but also raided a nearby house and detained 13 members of a Sunni family. Meanwhile, the Real Madrid soccer team stated that its players will be wearing black armbands during a game on Saturday to commemorate the fans who had died in the attack.
Read more, visit:
http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN0Y40FO
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iraq-balad-attacks-suicide-bomber-isis-daesh-islamic-state-a7027341.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36290195
https://www.hromedia.com/2016/05/13/gun-grenade-and-bomb-attack-kills-16-north-of-baghdad/
