The 2005 Musayyib bombing was a suicide attack on a marketplace in Musayyib,

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, a town 35 miles south of

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

on July 16, 2005. The attacker had detonated his

explosive belt An explosive belt (also called suicide belt, suicide vest or bomb vest) is an improvised explosive device, a belt or a vest packed with explosives and armed with a detonator, worn by suicide bombers. Explosive belts are usually packed with ball ...

in a crowded

marketplace A marketplace, market place, or just market, is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a ''souk'' (from ...

, where hundreds of people had come to shop and mingle after the day's stifling heat subsided. The attack happened as a tanker containing cooking gas was passing, triggering an inferno that destroyed dozens of buildings, including a nearby

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

where worshipers were emerging from evening prayers.

References

2005 murders in Iraq Attacks on Shiite mosques in the Iraq War Mosque bombings in Iraq Attacks in Iraq in 2005 Mass murder in 2005 Marketplace attacks in Iraq Terrorist incidents in Iraq in 2005 Suicide bombings in Iraq July 2005 in Iraq Terrorist incidents involving incendiary devices Bombings in the Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) Babylon Governorate in the Iraq War 2005 building bombings Suicide bombings in 2005 Arson in Iraq Arson in 2005 21st-century attacks on mosques Gas explosions in Iraq 2005 industrial disasters Mosque arson in Asia {{iraq-hist-stub