27 killed in Iraq attacks

Published October 25, 2005

BAGHDAD, Oct 24: Three suicide bombers staged a coordinated attack on a Baghdad hotel complex used by foreign journalists on Monday, killing 15 people. In northern Iraq, guerillas attacked key oil infrastructure and gunned down 12 building workers, contributing to a complete halt of oil exports.

The coordinated attack in the capital, at dusk in front of rolling television cameras and guaranteed global media coverage, broke a relative lull in violence over the past two weeks.

Witnesses and police said one of the first two bombers slammed a car into defences around the concrete towers of the Palestine and Sheraton hotels, blasting a path for a third in a cement truck; it exploded beside a US Bradley armoured vehicle on guard duty, sending up flame and smoke.

There were no initial reports of US military casualties, a spokesman said. Recent media reports have focused attention on the fact that the US death toll in Iraq is just three short of the headline figure of 2,000.

A US military statement gave a different account, saying a combination of rockets and car bombs targeted the hotels.

The explosions, spaced over several minutes as people prepared for iftar, made for instantly replayed footage for cameras, which were trained on the area after the first blast and hence perfectly placed for subsequent detonations.—Agencies

Opinion

Editorial

All out
Updated 25 Feb, 2025

All out

PAKISTAN cricket captain Mohammad Rizwan’s assessment was brutal — it could not have been any other way. At ...
Bearing the brunt
25 Feb, 2025

Bearing the brunt

FOR the past several months, we have repeatedly been told by the prime minister and his cabinet that the government...
Afghan resettlement
25 Feb, 2025

Afghan resettlement

AFGHAN refugees who fled their country after the Taliban took over in 2021, and who hoped to resettle in the West,...
Taliban divisions
Updated 24 Feb, 2025

Taliban divisions

The only workable solution lies in Mullah Akhundzada loosening his iron grip on the country.
Oblivious to drought
24 Feb, 2025

Oblivious to drought

PAKISTAN faces two types of drought: one caused by dry weather or lower-than-normal rainfall, and the other ...
Digital children
24 Feb, 2025

Digital children

AS most parents with young children will agree, the easiest way to pacify a bawling child is to hand them a...