A suicide bomber attacked a soccer stadium in Iraq, turning the beautiful game into tragedy.
The bomber struck a stadium in the town of Iskanderiyah on Friday, killing at least 30 people and wounding 60 more, according to Agence France-Presse. The attack occurred around 12 p.m. ET, following the end of the game which involved local teams.
“They were just handing the trophy to the winners, the suicide attacker blew himself up in the crowd,” a police captain from the village, Al-Asriya, told AFP.
Iskanderiyah lies 25 miles south of Baghdad.
Iskanderiyah’s mayor was among the 30 killed, a medical official told AFP.
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. The group has detonated several suicide bombs in and around Baghdad, as Iraqi forces and their allies battle to re-take Islamic State strongholds in the north and west of the country.
Thumbnail photo via YouTube/AFC Asian Cup
