“ISIS is losing.” — Vox, April 15, 2015
“Car bomb kills three outside U.S. consulate in Iraq’s Kurdish capital,” by Isabel Coles, Reuters, April 17, 2015:
A car bomb killed three people on Friday outside the U.S. consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, a ally of Washington in the war against Islamic State, which claimed the attack.
No U.S. personnel were hurt in the blast, according to the U.S. State Department, which said a “vehicle-borne improvised explosive device” exploded right outside the entrance to the heavily fortified compound.
Kurdistan is an important partner for the U.S.-led coalition in its campaign to “degrade and destroy” the Islamic State group, which overran large parts of Iraq last summer and threatened to reach Erbil.
A Reuters witness heard the blast, which was followed by gunfire and a column of black smoke high above the Ankawa district, a predominantly Christian neighbourhood packed with cafes popular with foreigners.
“It seems the consulate was the target,” Nihad Qoja, the mayor of Erbil’s city centre, told Reuters.
The head of security for Ankawa said three people were killed and 14 wounded.
“They (Islamic State) want to show they are present,” Sherzad Farmand said.
Islamic State also claimed responsibility for two car bombings in the Baghdad that killed at least 27 people on Friday….
Billy Corr says
We never hear much about this ludicrous little statelet these days, do we?
The Kurdish ‘sunburst’ flag flies, not the flag of Kurdistan, which delights visiting foreigners.
Tiresome Kurdish journalists are murdered nastily, which goes unnoticed by the wider world.
Chris Foley says
Not sure what you mean by “ludicrous”, but they are tough, smart, and freedom loving and are not theocrats like the hajis, nor cowards like our current political leadership in DC.
Mirren10 says
The majority of Kurds are **Sunni muslims**, a minority of them are Shia, and still fewer are Yazidis,
The majority of Kurds are Sunni muslims, a minority are Shia, still fewer are Yazidis, Zoriastrians.
It took me all of ten seconds to google that information.
Are you just an idiot ?
Don McKellar says
Dig that crazy electrical wiring on the streets of yet another moslem rathole city, will you?
Chris Foley says
“Moslem rathole city”? Try to get your facts straight. The Kurds are NOT Moslems, and outside of Israel represent the soundest (and bravest) culture niche anywhere in the ME. If you knew ANYTHING about the Kurds, you would know that they have built those “ratholes” with zero oil money and almost zero support from our wonderful administration. They are heroes.
Georg says
My condolences to the families of those murdered. Biji Kurdistan, and biji Peshmerga.
Billy Corr says
ERROR: The Kurdish flag and NOT the *ALLAH AKHBAR* flag of Iraq
Plutarchus7 says
WELL, JUST IN TIME FOR THE 3RD ANNIVERSARY
of the Boston Marathon Bombing. And killing the same number of people. Dzhokhar must be sitting in his cell elated thinking it’s a sign from Allah certifying his deed. And his mother must be passing out candy, cakes and cookies believing Allah has avenged her two sons.
Plutarchus7 says
second anniversary