2010 Baqubah bombings

3 March 2010 Baqubah bombing
Part of Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)

Location	Baqubah, Iraq
Date	3 March 2010 9:30 – (UTC+3)
Attack type	Car bombs/Suicide bombs
Deaths	33^[1]
Injured	55
Perpetrators	Unknown
Motive	Disruption of 2010 Iraqi parliamentary election

List of bombings during the Iraq War

‡ indicates attacks resulting in over 100 deaths
§ indicates the deadliest attack in the Iraq War
This list only includes major attacks.

2003: 1st Baghdad; 2nd Baghdad; Najaf; 3rd Baghdad; 1st Nasiriyah; 1st Karbala

2004: ‡ 1st Erbil; ‡ Ashoura; 1st Basra; 1st Mosul; 4th Baghdad; 5th Baghdad; Karbala & Najaf; 1st Baqubah; Kufa; Marez

2005: Suwaira bombing; ‡ 1st Al Hillah; 2nd Erbil; ‡ Musayyib; 6th Baghdad; ‡ 7th Baghdad; 1st Balad; Khanaqin

2006: ‡ Karbala-Ramadi; 1st Samarra; 8th Baghdad; 9th Baghdad; ‡ 10th Baghdad

2007: 11th Baghdad; 12th Baghdad; ‡ 13th Baghdad; 14th Baghdad; 15th Baghdad; ‡ 2nd Al Hillah; ‡ 1st Tal Afar; 16th Baghdad; 17th Baghdad; 2nd & 3rd Karbala; 2nd Mosul; ‡ 18th Baghdad; Makhmour; Abu Sayda; 2nd Samarra; 19th Baghdad; ‡ Amirli; 1st Kirkuk; 20th Baghdad; 21st Baghdad; § Qahtaniya; Amarah

2008: 22nd Baghdad; 2nd Balad; 23rd Baghdad; 4th Karbala; 24th Baghdad; Karmah; 2nd Baqubah; Dujail; Balad Ruz

2009: 25th Baghdad; 26th Baghdad; Baghdad-Muqdadiyah; Taza; 27th Baghdad; 2nd Kirkuk; 2nd Tal Afar; ‡ 28th Baghdad; ‡ 29th Baghdad; ‡ 30th Baghdad

2010: 31st Baghdad; 32nd Baghdad; 3rd Baqubah; 33rd Baghdad; 34th Baghdad; 35th Baghdad; ‡ 1st Pan-Iraq; 36th Baghdad; 37th Baghdad; 2nd Pan-Iraq; 38th Baghdad; 39th Baghdad; ‡ 40th Baghdad

2011: 41st Baghdad; ‡ 3rd Pan-Iraq; Karbala-Baghdad; 42nd Baghdad; Tikrit; 3rd Al Hillah; 3rd Samarra; Al Diwaniyah; Taji; 4th Pan-Iraq; 43rd Baghdad; 4th Karbala; 44th Baghdad; 2nd Basra; 45th Baghdad

The 3 March 2010 Baqubah bombings were a series of three bombings in Baqubah, Iraq, on 3 March 2010 that killed at least 33 people and injured 55 others.^[2]^[3] Baqubah, a mixed Sunni and Shia town, is the capital of Diyala Governorate, approximately 40 miles (64 km) north of the country's capital, Baghdad.^[4]

The bombings occurred in the lead-up to the parliamentary elections scheduled for 7 March 2010.^[5]^[6] At 9:45 am local time, a car bomb was detonated near a police station in the western part of the city. A few moments later, approximately 100 yards (91 m) away,^[1] another car bomb was detonated near the provincial building.^[7] A suicide bomber later detonated a bomb at the hospital where some of the wounded were being treated.^[8] The hospital bomber posed as a police lieutenant and rode an ambulance to the hospital.^[1]^[9] A fourth bomb was found near the hospital and defused.^[10]

After the bombings, a full curfew was imposed on the city of Baqubah, barring even pedestrians.^[11] Among the dead were ten policemen,^[12] and Dr. Ali al-Timimi, head of Diyala Governorate's health department.^[13]

No organization has claimed responsibility for carrying out the bombings. The Islamic State of Iraq organization had previously promised to disrupt the elections on 7 March.^[14] Authorities, both American and Iraqi, have reportedly warned that more attacks could occur before, and even after the elections.^[1] Despite the concerns, early voting began, as scheduled, the morning of 4 March.^[15]

United States response

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said "It's disgraceful, it's deplorable. We strongly condemn it, that said, neither this attack nor any of the previous attempts to derail the electoral process and to destabilise the government have been or will be successful."^[16]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Levinson, Charles (4 March 2010). "Suicide Bombs Rock Iraq Before Vote". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company. Archived from the original on 5 March 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ Santora, Mark (3 March 2010). "Bombers Kill Dozens as Iraq Vote Nears". The New York Times. New York, NY. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ "Suicide bombers target Iraq city". Al-Jazeera. 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ England, Andrew (3 March 2010). "Suicide bomb attacks kill 30 in Iraq". The Financial Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ Sly, Liz; Redha, Usama (3 March 2010). "Iraq suicide bombings kill 31 as elections near". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ "Suicide Bombings in Baqubah, Iraq Kill 32 (video)". Associated Press. 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ Londoño, Ernesto (3 March 2010). "Pre-election bombings kill dozens in Iraqi city". The Washington Post. Washington, DC. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ August, Oliver (4 March 2010). "Suicide attacks kill at least 32 in Baquba". The Times. London, UK. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ Hubbard, Ben (3 March 2010). "Triple bombing kill 32 ahead of Iraqi vote". The Associated Press. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ Spencer, Richard (3 March 2010). "Iraq hit by triple suicide bomb ahead of election". The Telegraph. London, UK. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ Allam, Hannah (3 March 2010). "At least 33 Iraqis die in 3 pre-election bombings". Miami Herald. McClatchy Newspapers. Retrieved 4 March 2010.^{[dead link]}
^ Jansen, Michael (4 March 2010). "10 policemen among 33 killed in Iraq suicide attacks". The Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ "30 killed in Diyala triple bombings". China Daily. 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ "Q&A: Iraqi parliamentary polls". BBC News. 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ Santora, Marc (4 March 2010). "Following Suicide Attacks, Early Voting Begins in Iraq". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 March 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
^ Landers, Kim; Knight, Ben (4 March 2010). "Baghdad braces for big attack ahead of vote". ABC News. Sydney, Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010.