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Education International
Education International

Iraq: Teacher union outrage at bombing

published 5 July 2016 updated 4 March 2022

The Iraqi Teachers’ Union has firmly condemned the latest terrorist attack perpetrated by Daesh in Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad, leaving, according to latest official reports, 200 people dead and 225 others severely injured.

Early on 3 July, the Daesh, or Islamic State (ISIS), suicide bombing took place in front of housing in a busy shopping area in Baghdad.

“Many of the murdered were university, college and school students - both primary and secondary - out with their families, happily pre-shopping for the Ramadan holidays and the start of the school summer holidays,” said the Iraqi Teachers’ Union (ITU). The union is affiliated to Education International.

Many families perished in the incident, the union added, noting that “this bombing is the largest in scale” so far and “Iraq is fighting terrorism on behalf of the world and needs to be supported.”

The ITU strongly condemns the brutality of terrorism and calls on the state to instruct security forces to re-double their efforts to protect civilians. It asks the international community, the UN and international and regional organisations to support and voice out Iraq's concerns.