| 2008 Balad bombing | |
|---|---|
| Location | Balad, Iraq |
| Date | February 10, 2008 1630 (1330 GMT) ( UTC+3) |
Attack type | car bomb |
| Deaths | 25-33 (reports vary) |
| Injured | 40+ |
| Perpetrators | Unknown |
The 2008 Balad bombing occurred on February 10, 2008 when a car bomb detonated in a market in Balad, Iraq, at a strategic Iraqi Army checkpoint. [1] It killed at least 25 and injuring 40 more, though some estimates place the death toll at 33. [1] Some buildings have collapsed and several people have been reported missing, adding to the possible death toll. [1]
Among the dead are a driver and Iraqi journalist Alaa Abdulkareem Fartusi, a cameraman for Al-Forat, a Shiite-backed satellite news station. [2] Fartusi marks the first journalist killed in Iraq in 2008. [2] A female reporter was injured in the blast and remains in critical condition. [2]
The bombing was on the same day that U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Baghdad unannounced to meet Iraqi government leaders and U.S. commanders, including General David Petraeus. [1] [3]
This is the second bomb attack on Balad. The first was on September 29, 2005 when 95 people were killed.
References
- ^ a b c d "Iraq town hit by deadly car bomb". 2008-02-10. Archived from the original on 2023-03-19. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ a b c Parker, Ned (2009-01-31). "Iraq's Sunnis turn toward the ballot". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2021-10-25. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ "Suicide bomber kills 25 in Iraqi market - CNN.com". www.cnn.com. Archived from the original on 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2023-05-09.