At least two Sunni Muslim mosques have been attacked in Iraq in apparent retaliation for the execution of a senior Shiite cleric in Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, officials and police said on Monday.
The interior ministry in Baghdad confirmed the attacks late Sunday in Hilla, around 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad. It didn’t confirm reports that at least one person was killed.
Iraq has faced sectarian bloodletting for years, mainly between the Sunni minority and Shiite majority that was empowered after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the provincial authorities “to chase the criminal gangs” who attacked the mosques. He blamed the attacks on “Daesh and those who are similar to them,” according to a statement that refers to Islamic State by one of its Arabic acronyms.
On Saturday, Saudi Arabia executed prominent cleric Nimr al-Nimr, triggering angry reactions in Shiite ruled Iraq and Iran.
نستخدم ملفات الكوكيز لنسهل عليك استخدام مواقعنا الإلكترونية ونكيف المحتوى والإعلانات وفقا لمتطلباتك واحتياجاتك الخاصة، لتوفير ميزات وسائل التواصل الاجتماعية ولتحليل حركة المرور لدينا...اعرف أكثر
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