60 Iraqis Killed, 150 Wounded in Tikrit Suicide Bombing, Targeting Police Recruits

 January 18, 2011

60 killed, around 150 wounded in Iraq suicide bombing

TIKRIT, Iraq, Jan. 18, 2011 (Xinhua) --

 A suicide bomber blew himself up Tuesday among a group of police recruitments in Iraq's northern city of Tikrit, now leaving at least 60 people killed and around 150 others wounded, a local police source in Salahuddin province told Xinhua.

"The death toll has increased to 60 and more than 150 others wounded," said the provincial police source who refused to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Many wounded people were in critical condition, a Tikrit mosque has started to urge local people to donate blood, he said, adding a lot of them were taken to hospitals in nearby cities like Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk because the capability of hospitals in Tikrit were limited.

A doctor named Mustafa in Tikrit hospital told Xinhua that dozens of patients were taken to the hospital and there were very dangerous situations.

"We tried best to save lives of those wounded people," he said.

Witnesses said there were about 300 people in line to join the police when the attack occurred.

One of the people who want to join the police, in an interview with Xinhua, said "where is security? and why the officials did not prevent the suicide bomber from entering the site ?"

He added that he hold the police chief responsible because many young people lost their lives in the attack.

Insurgents frequently attacked Iraqi government officials and security members as part of attempts to reassert the insurgent's control in some areas where they've been limited in freedom of movement.

Violence and sporadic high-profile bomb attacks continued in the Iraqi cities despite the dramatic decrease of violence over the last three years.

Editor: Tang Danlu

45 killed, 150 injured in Tikrit attack

1/18/2011 12:51 PM

SALAH AL-DIN / Aswat al-Iraq:

Casualties from the suicide bombing attack that in central Tikrit on Tuesday raised to 45 dead and 150 wounded, a medic said.

"The Salah al-Din educational hospital received 45 bodies and 150 wounded persons as a result of the suicide explosion that targeted a police recruitment center in central Tikrit," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

"Many wounded people are in critical condition," he added.

"Security forces launched a crackdown operation around the scene in central Tikrit to hunt down wanted men," a police source said.

A security source had said earlier that a suicide bomber blew up an explosive belt strapped to his body near a police recruitment center in the festivities square in central Tikrit, killing 15 and injuring 30.

Tikrit, the capital of Salah al-Din, lies 175 km north of Baghdad. 
SH (TP)/SR