Blast targets Turkmen in Iraq’s Kirkuk: Police source

[Anthea]

Blast targets Turkmen in Iraq’s Kirkuk: Police source
By Hussein al-Amir

A bomb exploded near a group of Turkmen celebrating the annual Nevruz spring festival on Friday in Iraq’s northern city of Kirkuk, according to a local police source.

“A bomb planted in downtown Kirkuk went off as local Turkmen were celebrating the Nevruz holiday,” Police Captain Hamed al-Obeidi told Anadolu Agency.

Nevruz, which traditionally marks the arrival of spring, is celebrated in some countries of the Middle East and central and southern Asia.

According to al-Obeidi, local authorities have arrested at least one person in connection with the attack, which failed to cause any deaths or injuries.

While no group has claimed responsibility for Friday’s bombing, Iraqi officials typically blame the Daesh terrorist group for such attacks.

Last December, officials in Baghdad said Daesh's military presence in Iraq had been all but dismantled. It appears the notorious terrorist group, however, still maintains "sleeper cells" in certain parts of the country.

https://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/blast- ... ce/1097630