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Iraqi police: Al Qaida behind deadly truck bombing

Police and rescue crews on Sunday looked for survivors of a truck bombing blamed on Al Qaida.

  • AP
  • Published: 14:47 June 21, 2009
  • Gulf News

Baghdad: Police and rescue crews on Sunday looked for survivors of a deadly truck bombing blamed on Al Qaida.

Officials said that Saturday's attack on a mosque that killed 72 people and wounded 163 others was aimed at destabilising Iraq.

Police Brig. Gen. Sarhat Qadir said the death toll was so high because most of the 30 homes that were damaged around the mosque were made of mud. The mosque was flattened.

Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki has called for calm and said there will be no delay in the pullout of US troops from Iraq.

"The operation has Al Qaida fingerprints," he said, adding that an investigation was ongoing.

There were conflicting reports about whether the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber or if the truck was booby-trapped.

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