Secretary-General deplores deadly bombing at Iraqi holy city

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today strongly condemned the bomb attack near the Imam Hussein shrine in the holy city of Karbala in central Iraq that has killed several dozen people and left many more injured.

“The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed in this heinous attack,” his spokesperson said in a statement.

Media reports say as many as 52 people died and 75 others were injured as a result of yesterday’s blast in Karbala, which is located about 80 kilometres south of the national capital, Baghdad.

In today’s statement Mr. Ban appealed to “all Iraqis to show maximum restraint in the face of these provocative actions. He also urges all Iraqi leaders to resolve their differences through political dialogue and in a spirit of national reconciliation.”