Massive explosion near football stadium in Baghdad, 10 killed and more than 20 injured

There has been an explosion near a football stadium in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. 10 people died in this accident, while more than 20 are injured. According to the report, the blast happened while playing football. People playing football are among the dead and injured.

According to the report, the blast took place in a gas tanker parked near the stadium. The explosion was so strong that the windows and doors of the surrounding houses began to shake. Also several vehicles parked near the spot were also damaged. Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid has ordered an inquiry into the incident. He has also spoken of punishing those responsible for the incident.

Attack 2 days after approving new cabinet
Officials said on condition of anonymity that it was not immediately clear whether the blast was caused by a technical snag or whether it was a targeted attack. The blast came two days after Iraq’s parliament approved a new cabinet through a long-awaited vote, which was described as a major breakthrough in de-escalating the country’s ongoing political tensions.

The cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Soudani, is the first in the country since 2005 that does not include members of the influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s group. In October 2019, Iraq held early elections in 2021 in the wake of large-scale anti-government protests in Baghdad and other parts. Protesters had staged massive protests demanding a change in the political system established in the country after the 2003 US invasion.

2 blasts in Somalia’s capital, many killed
At the same time, in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, two explosions occurred on Saturday in a crowded place near a major government office, in which several civilians were killed. The Somalia National News Agency quoted police spokesman Sadiq Dodishe as saying that the bombs planted in two cars had exploded.

An Associated Press (AP) reporter saw several bodies at the scene and said those killed in the blast appeared to be civilians and were traveling in public transport. He said the second blast happened outside a restaurant. The Director of Ambulance Services said that many injured have been taken to the hospital and many bodies have been brought from the spot.