The death toll from two car bomb attacks on Iraqi football fans celebrating their side's Asian Cup semi-final win has risen to at least 50 dead and 90 wounded, according to the US military yesterday. Iraq's dramatic penalty shoot-out victory against South Korea on Wednesday sent thousands of jubilant fans cheering into the streets of Baghdad waving flags, singing and firing rifles wildly into the air. While the majority of Iraqis from across the country's warring communities hailed the victory and enjoyed a rare moment of shared national joy, insurgent car bombers detonated two devices among the crowds. A spokeswoman for the US division deployed in Baghdad, Captain Dawn Williams, said 50 Iraqi civilians and one policeman were killed in the blasts, 90 people were wounded and 18 vehicles destroyed.
Medics at the capital's Kindi, Yarmuk and Ibn Nafees hospitals reported treating 126 wounded from the attacks in the western Mansour and central Zayuna districts, along with two deaths from stray bullets. Some of the bodies may have been removed from the scene directly, and Iraqi security officials gave higher estimated tolls. An interior ministry official said 58 people were killed, while a defence source said 53.
It was not clear who planted the bombs, but similar attacks have in the past been blamed on Sun insurgent groups such as Al-Qaeda's Iraqi affiliate, which kills to spread chaos and undermine the US-backed government.