Iraq suicide bomb attack in Sunni mosque kills at least 20

GlobalPost

At least twenty people have been killed and around 40 have been wounded after a suicide bomber ignited himself inside of a Sunni mosque in central Iraq during midday prayers. 

The attack took place in the town of Wajihiya which is located in Diyala province, which has seen an increaisng number of dangerous attacks in recent weeks, with mosques the primary targets.

Read more from GlobalPost: Sunni and Shia divided in Iraq, the land of Cain and Abel 

''Terrorism is targeting all sects in Diyala mainly by attacking Sunni and Shia mosques, funerals and football fields to draw the province into a sectarian conflict. All the victims were civilians,' 'Diyala provincial councilman Sadiq al-Husseini said, according to DAWN. ''I call on all Diyala residents to show self-restraint.''

"I was in the first row of people praying. We were listening to the preacher give his sermon. Suddenly, a huge explosion shook the place," 22-year-old student Salman Ubaid told Reuters of the incident. "I fainted and later found myself lying on the floor in Wajihiyia hospital with some shrapnel in the head," he added.

It's unclear who was behind the attacks at this time, the worst such to occur over the Ramadan religious holiday. More than 2,500 Iraqis have died in violent attacks since April alone, writes the BBC, as violence escalates to levels not seen since the withdrawal of US forces in 2011. 

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