Several Killed As Explosion Rocks Iraqi City of Basra (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An explosion killed at least four people and injured four more in the heart of Iraq’s southern city of Basra.
The Iraqi military said a statement on Tuesday that a motorcycle rigged with explosives was the cause of the blast, which sent a column of black smoke into the sky.
Iraq’s Security Media Cell, an outlet affiliated with the country’s security forces, said the four people died as a result of the fire in two cars that were near the motorcycle, Al Jazeera reported.
“Forensic experts and specialised technical teams are still present at the scene of the accident to determine its nature and give more details about the nature of the accident,” said Saad Maan, the head of the Security Media Cell, in a statement.
“The cell will announce in a later statement broader details after completing investigations and technical reports,” he added.
In a statement, a senior security source told the Rudaw media network that the explosion took place opposite al-Jumhouri Hospital in the city center by the al-Samoud intersection.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion. However, the Governor of Basra Asaad al-Edani told reporters the blast “carries fingerprints of Daesh (ISIL of ISIS)”.
