Iraq: Car bomb kills over 80 people in Hilla

A car bomb has reportedly exploded in the suburbs of the city of al-Hilla in Southern Iraq martyring more than 80 people, among them pilgrims.

According to security sources, a truck loaded with explosives went off on Thursday at a gas station in the Shomali village in the suburbs of the city of al-Hilla, located 120 km southeast of the capital Baghdad and around 80 km from Karbala.

Reports say there have been several Iranian nationals among the victims.

The incident occurred at a time when buses packed with Shia Muslim pilgrims were parked at the gas station. The people were returning from Arba’een mourning rituals in the holy city of Karbala.

“At least seven buses with pilgrims were inside the petrol station at the time,” an unnamed police lieutenant colonel told AFP.

AFP also quoted an unnamed police intelligence source as saying that “those buses were loaded with Iranians, Bahrainis and Iraqis. Ambulances and civil defense are on their way to the site.”

The Takfiri Daesh terrorist group claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing.

SS