Iraq bombing condemned

The Kingdom of Bahrain has condemned the terrorist bombing that took place near the entrance of the city of Karbala in the Republic of Iraq, killing and injuring a number of people. The Foreign Ministry expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to all those injured as a result of these heinous terrorist acts.

It affirmed Bahrain’s solidarity with the brotherly Republic of Iraq in combating violence and terrorism in all its forms and supporting its efforts to enhance security and consolidate stability, renewing the Kingdom’s firm stand against violence, extremism and terrorism. It underlined the necessity of exerting all efforts to eliminate this dangerous phenomenon.

ISIS on Saturday claimed a bomb blast that killed 12 people near the Iraqi Shiite city of Karbala the previous day. The blast on a bus at a checkpoint north of Karbala also wounded five people, according to the city’s health authorities. Security forces said on Saturday they had arrested a man suspected of placing the explosives on the bus.

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi in a statement released by his office Saturday gave no further details about the suspect. Parliament Speaker Mohamad Al Halbousi expressed in a statement his frustration with the repeated “failures of intelligence agencies” to prevent such attacks. He added that security plans should be reviewed and intelligence gathering intensified.