At least 15 killed, 35 injured after suicide bombing in eastern Iraq

At least 15 killed, 35 injured after suicide bombing in eastern Iraq

2010-10-30 03:06:11 GMT+7 (ICT)

DIYALA, IRAQ (BNO NEWS) -- At least 15 individuals on Friday were killed and 35 injured after a suicide bombing attack in a cafe in eastern Iraq, the Aswat al-Iraq news agency reported.

The suicide attack took place at a popular café that usually has Shia Muslim Kurds customers in Balad Ruz, in Diyala province. The town is located near the Iranian border and approximately 45 kilometers from Baaquba.

"The initial count of casualties from an earlier suicide bombing attack in a popular café in Dor Mandili area, Balad Ruz district, is 15 deaths and 35 others wounded. The majority of inhabitants in Dor Mandili are Feyli Kurds," a security official said.

Preliminary reports indicate that a man with an explosive belt strapped to his chest arrived at the Diyala cafe. Moments later, the suicide bomber blew himself up in the popular place. Authorities expect the death toll to rise in the coming hours.

Feyli Kurds are a Shiite community living in Baghdad and Iraq around Khanaqin and Mandili. It is estimated that around 2 to 3 million Feyli Kurds are living in Iraq.

Diyala, a troubled Iraqi province, witnessed its first major suicide bomb attack in several weeks. The internal struggles among political factions escalated after an inconclusive election almost eight months ago.

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