Iraq bombs kill 23, disrupt return to normal life in Mosul
IRBIL, Iraq — Zaid Ahmed’s barber shop in the Gogjali district of Mosul was packed with customers Thursday when the first of three car bombs ripped through the outdoor food market outside. Ahmed was unharmed, but when he made a dash for safety, the second blast hit.
The 25-year-old father of two was among dozens wounded in the attack that killed 23 people, including eight policemen, the deadliest bombing yet in the district since Iraqi forces wrested it away from the Islamic State group more than a month ago.
Repeated attacks by IS militants in parts of Mosul “liberated” by Iraqi forces — including mortars, sniper fire, suicide car bombs and sneak attacks — are plaguing attempts by troops to advance in the city and shaking residents who are trying to find some semblance of a normal life again.
Authorities slapped a 24-hour curfew on Gogjali soon after the bombings, two of which hit the market and its surroundings, while the third hit outside a mosque a short distance away.