TERRORISM: Up to 140 dead - terrorist attacks in northern Iraq, page 1

Caused by 2 suicide attacks in Arbil up to 140 people were killed according to the minister of the local government. The local governor and several government members were killed too.more]

Arbil - Mohammed Ihsan, human-rights minister of the kurdish regional administration told that caused by two attacks on regional offices of the two rivalising parties "Democratic Party Kurdistan"(KDP) and "Patriotic Union Kurdistan"(PUK), 80 and 60 people have lost their life.
The list of dead includes popular names like Akram Mintik(local governor), Sami Abdul Rahman(vice prime-minister of the region), Shawkat Sheik Yazdin(minister of the regional council) and Saad Abdullah(minister of agriculture). In addition to the 140 dead, many people have been wounded - Arbil announced the state of emergency.

Today security measures had been lighter than normally as today Muslims are celebrating the holy "oath al-Adha". Knowing this the suicide bombers approached both regional offices which were visited by hundreds of people. After the attack thousands of people moved towards the hospitals in hope to find their relatives, the police had to hold back the masses to avoid even more chaotic situations.

Arbil is located about 325km north of Bagdad. Till now no group told that the attacks are made by them but rumours say that this probably has been pulled by the kurdish miliz "Ansar al-Islam" which has strong ties to al-Quaida.

Source: Der Spiegel, www.spiegel.de
- meanwhile also covered here: news.independent.co.uk...

[Edited on 1-2-2004 by shoo]

[Edited on 4-2-2004 by Nerdling]