January 2011 Iraq suicide attacks

On 18 January 2011, a bomber killed 63 people and injured around 150 in the city of Tikrit.[2] The bombing occurred near a police facility where several hundred people were gathered.[2] The attack was blamed on a lack of security at the event; a local police official said that "[t]he security procedures weren't good. They did not meet the demands of such a gathering."[2] A local councilman, Abdullah Jabara, said that the attack was committed by Al-Qaeda, and was intended "to shake the security in the province and to bring back instability to Tikrit."[3]

On 19 January, at least 15[4][5] people were killed in two attacks in the towns of Baqubah and Ghalbiyah, both located in the same region about 65 kilometres (40 mi) northeast of Baghdad.[5] In the incident in Baqubah, the attacker reportedly fired on guards at a police building before driving an ambulance with explosives into the building, where the vehicle was blown up.[5] This attack killed either 13[4] or 14[5] people, while injuring between 60 and 70.[4][5] The building collapsed after the attack, burying survivors of the initial explosion.[5] The bombing was estimated to have used 450 pounds (200 kg) of explosives and left a crater 7 feet (2.1 m) in diameter.[6]

In Ghalbiyah, a suicide bomber killed two people and injured 15 out of a crowd marching from Baghdad to Karbala, a holy city.[5] An official from the Diyala Governorate and three of his bodyguards were wounded in this incident.[5]

On 20 January, at least 56 people died when two car bombs detonated near Karbala during the holy festival of Arba'een. In Baquba, three others were killed in a separate suicide bombing.[7][8]

• 24 January 2011 Iraq bombings