More than 80 people have been killed and dozens more wounded in two gun-and-car bomb attacks near the city of Nasiriyah in southern Iraq.
The attacks in the southern province of Thi Qar on Thursday started with unidentified assailants opening fire inside a restaurant on the main highway that links the capital Baghdad with the southern provinces, news outlets reported.
Shortly afterwards, an explosives-laden car targeted a security checkpoint in the same area.
Thi Qar is located about 320km southeast of Baghdad.
The self-styled Islamic State terrorist group claimed the suicide attacks, according to the group’s Amaq propaganda website.
According to Provincial Gov. Yahya al-Nassiri, 84 people were killed and 93 people were injured in the attack in Nasiriyah. Among them, 10 Iranians were killed and 10 wounded.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi strongly condemned the attacks offering his condolences to the Iraqi people and government as well as the bereaved families of the victims of “the savage crime”.
The spiritual leader of Iraq’s Shia majority condemned the attack Friday calling on Iraq’s central government and local leaders “to undertake responsibly and professionally the protection of citizens from terrorists.”
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani’s message was delivered by his representative Sheikh Abdulmehdi al-Karbalai from the holy city of Karbala during Friday prayers.
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