A motorcycle bomb blast in the southern Iraqi city of Basra has killed four people and injured several others.
Qatar has strongly condemned and denounced a bombing near a major hospital in the southern Iraqi city of Basra that has led to the deaths of at least four people and injured several others.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reaffirmed Qatar’s strong stance against violence and terrorism, regardless of motives and reasons.
MoFA expressed Qatar’s condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
In a statement on Tuesday, Iraq’s military said a motorcycle rigged with explosives caused the explosion, creating a cloud of black smoke that rose above the city.
Iraq’s Security Media Cell confirmed that the four deaths were the result of a fire in two cars that were near the motorcycle.
“Forensic experts and specialised technical teams are still present at the scene of the accident to determine its nature and give more details about the nature of the accident,” said head of the Security Media Cell Saad Maan.
“The cell will announce in a later statement broader details after completing investigations and technical reports,” he added.
A senior security source informed the Rudaw Media Network that the explosion took place across from the al-Jumhouri Hospital in Basra’s city centre.
Read also: Qatar condemns Mogadishu bombing
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iraqi officials have pointed fingers at militants from the Islamic State group.
The last IS attack in a major Iraqi city was in July, when a bomb killed 35 people at a crowded market in the capital Baghdad.
Explosive attacks in the southern oil-producing regions of Iraq are rare, especially after the defeat of the IS militant group in 2017.
Political instability in Iraq has continued to run rife even after the October parliament elections which saw populist leader Muqtada al-Sadr emerge as the victor.
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