2003 Karbala bombings
Encyclopedia
The 2003 Karbala bombings consisted of four suicide attack
s on the coalition
military
barracks
in Karbala
, Iraq
, 110 kilometres (68.4 mi) south of Baghdad
on December 27, 2003.
The attackers targeted two coalition bases and a downtown
Iraqi police
station where U.S. military police
were stationed. The attacks occurred within a 20-minute span.
n guards at the perimeter of their forward base at the Karbala University shot the suicide bomber as the gasoline tanker bore down on the front entrance. Nevertheless, the bomb exploded about 50 feet from the base's main building, killing five Bulgarian soldiers and wounding 27 other of which one died of his injuries the next day. The Bulgarian Army chief of staff, Nikola Kolev, said that they expected these attacks because Karbala was suspiciously peaceful.
In the attack on the Thai Army camp the bomber killed two Thai
soldiers and wounded five others when he rammed his vehicle into the walls of the Thai camp. The Thais were confident enough about their security that they planned to send 200 Thai civilians to visit their troops.
In the double attack on the police station 7 Iraqi policemen and 5 civilians were killed. Among the wounded were five American soldiers.
Suicide attack
A suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
s on the coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
in Karbala
Karbala
Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 572,300 people ....
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, 110 kilometres (68.4 mi) south of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
on December 27, 2003.
The attackers targeted two coalition bases and a downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
Iraqi police
Iraqi Police
The Iraqi Police Service are the uniformed Territorial police force responsible for the enforcement of civil law within Iraq.The current organisation, structure and recruitment practice was guided by the Coalition Provisional Authority following the 2003 invasion of Iraq...
station where U.S. military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
were stationed. The attacks occurred within a 20-minute span.
The attacks
BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n guards at the perimeter of their forward base at the Karbala University shot the suicide bomber as the gasoline tanker bore down on the front entrance. Nevertheless, the bomb exploded about 50 feet from the base's main building, killing five Bulgarian soldiers and wounding 27 other of which one died of his injuries the next day. The Bulgarian Army chief of staff, Nikola Kolev, said that they expected these attacks because Karbala was suspiciously peaceful.
In the attack on the Thai Army camp the bomber killed two Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
soldiers and wounded five others when he rammed his vehicle into the walls of the Thai camp. The Thais were confident enough about their security that they planned to send 200 Thai civilians to visit their troops.
In the double attack on the police station 7 Iraqi policemen and 5 civilians were killed. Among the wounded were five American soldiers.