Baghdad School Bombing, 5 killed

BAGHDAD: A bomb in a school in the Baghdad Shiite neighbourhood of Sadr City killed five people and wounded 34 on Monday, the majority of them children returning to class after a Muslim holiday, security and health officials said.

“Five people died and 34 were injured in the attack on the school,” a police officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The toll was confirmed by Sadr City Hospital.

The vast majority of the casualties from the 1:10 pm (1010 GMT) blast were pupils at the Abaa Dhar School, a primary school for boys in the Iraqi capital’s northeast.

The explosion, which left a crater around four metres (13 feet) in diameter, struck just outside the main entrance of the school and severely damaged three nearby houses.