Iraq
The previous week was yet another deadly week for Shia Muslims as bombs continued to target Shia neighborhoods throughout the country. One such incident occurred on September 22nd when bomb blasts killed 16 and injured over 50 in Shia majority areas of Baghdad. The first bombing this day occurred when an explosive-laden care exploded in the al-Amin al-Thaniyah neighborhood of eastern Baghdad. This attack which ISIS claimed responsibility for killed 12 and injured 42.
Later that day two people were killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated near a market in the Shia town of Yusufiya which is 24 miles south of Baghdad.
In the Shia town of Balad Ruz, 40 miles northeast of Baghdad, an explosion went off near a restaurant which killed two people and injured eight others.
Lastly, a bomb detonated near an army patrol near the town of Taji, 20 miles north of Baghdad, injuring three soldiers.
Syria
A short-lived ceasefire in northwestern Syria was broken on September 27th as Al-Qaeda-affiliated militants fired shells into the Shia town of Fuaa in the province of Idlib. Shia Rights Watch has reported on the continuing shelling of the towns of Fuaa and Kafaraya by militants in previous news updates but the violence has only continued. On Friday it was announced that a ceasefire had been agreed to by all sides involved in the fighting around these towns but the very next day, reports surfaced of this shelling. No immediate casualties have been reported from this shelling despite the news that it has resumed. Shia Rights Watch will issue any updates on this broken ceasefire as it becomes available.
Yemen
On a holy day for all Muslims, let alone Shia Muslims, terrorist groups are continuing to attack worshippers while praying in mosques. On Thursday in Sana’a, Yemen, bombs were detonated at the Balili mosque which many Shia Muslims attend. The first bomb detonated during prayers on Thursday for Eid al-Adha, as survivors to the first blast ran to exit the mosque they were met by a suicide bomber who detonated his suicide belt. This horrific attack killed at least 25 people and wounded dozens of others. While no group has claimed responsibility for this attack, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and ISIS have carried out such attacks against Shia Muslims in the past.
