IRAQ: SEVEN SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER 2015 BOMBING NEAR U.S. CONSULATE
June 13, 2016: Seven people were sentenced to death by an Erbil court for their role in the bombing outside of the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, which occurred on April 17, 2015, according to Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism (KCT).Â
KCT released a statement on June 13 announcing seventeen people have been sentenced over their involvement in the bombing near the U.S. Consulate in Erbilâs Ainkawa neighborhood. Seven were sentenced to death and ten to life sentences.
KCT said the group had been arrested with the coordination of counter-terrorism forces from the Kurdistan Region's Security Council (KRSC) and the Kirkuk Police Directorate.
A bomb-laden vehicle exploded outside the U.S. Consulate in the Kurdish city of Erbil on April 17, killing two people and wounding eight others.
Social media accounts linked to ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.
The U.S. Consulate is located in Erbil's Christian quarter, Ainkawa, which is home to many foreign nationals working inside the Kurdish region, as well as Western-style cafes, restaurants and bars.
Car bombs and attacks are relatively rare inside the Kurdish Region compared with other areas of the country. (Sources: NRT, 14/06/2016)
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