Officials Denounce 'Cowardly' Terrorist Attacks in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

Nov. 11, 2008 - Coalition officials denounced three "cowardly" terrorist attacks in Iraq that left five Iraqis dead and 70 injured over the past two days. Two explosions occurred today in northern Baghdad at approximately 6 a.m. The attack left 18 Iraqis, including three Iraqi Police injured. All casualties were taken to local hospitals.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, helped secured the site and are investigating the scene with an explosive ordnance disposal team.

"It is with a heavy heart to witness these attacks on innocent civilians who only want to live in peace," Lt. Col. Steve Stover, Multinational Division Baghdad spokesman. "It is with resolve and determination that U.S and Iraqi Security Forces will hunt the perpetrators down for their crimes against humanity."

Also today in Mosul, Al-Qaida in Iraq injured 15 Iraqi civilians during a car bomb attack on the city's Ministry of Sports complex.

At approximately 12:54 p.m., a white car loaded with explosives detonated near the building, deliberately targeting the Iraqi civilians.

"Al-Qaeda in Iraq continues to use these cowardly attacks in an attempt to discourage the Iraqi Security Forces and terrorize law-abiding citizens," said Col. Bill Buckner, spokesman for Multinational Corps Iraq.

"We and our Iraqi Security Force partners will continue to work together and will not rest until those responsible for these acts of violence against the innocent are caught and brought to justice," Buckner said.

In an attack in Baghdad yesterday, Terrorists detonated a car bomb in the city's south Adhamiyah district at approximately 8 a.m. The attack killed five Iraqi civilians and wounded 37 others, including two Iraqi Army soldiers.

Iraqi first responders immediately reacted to the attack with firefighters, ambulances, and Iraqi Police. Iraqi Army soldiers secured the scene. Emergency personnel evacuated the wounded to medical facilities for treatment.

The method and timing of this attack appears to target the peaceful population of Adhamiyah. The Corneesh River Park, a children's playground, is near the site of the attack and demonstrates the indiscriminate nature of this attack, officials said.

"Today's attack is a despicable, cowardly act of terrorism against peaceful people," said Col. John Hort, commander of the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, part of Multinational Division Baghdad. "There is absolutely no military connotation to this attack. The people of Adhamiyah have built a peaceful and progressive neighborhood, and an attack of this nature has only one goal: to terrorize and destabilize."

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)