Iraq prison convoy ambush kills 60

An onslaught on a convoy transferring inmates north of Baghdad left dozens dead Thursday, as visiting UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Iraq’s survival hinged on a more inclusive government.

July 24, 2014

Sahoub Baghdadi





BAGHDAD — An onslaught on a convoy transferring inmates north of Baghdad left dozens dead Thursday, as visiting UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Iraq’s survival hinged on a more inclusive government. Most of the 60 killed in the spectacular predawn ambush were prisoners convicted of terrorism charges being transferred from Taji prison, barely 25 km north of the capital. Explosions from the attack were heard in some neighborhoods of Baghdad, where UN chief Ban Ki-moon landed Thursday on an unscheduled stop in his Middle East tour. “At least 60 people, prisoners and policemen, were killed in a suicide attack followed by several IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and shooting,” an Interior Ministry official said. One security source said the inmates were being transferred as a precautionary measure after Taji prison was hit by mortar fire on Wednesday. — AFP


July 24, 2014
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