Violence continued apace today in Iraq, capping off a seven day span of daily violence that has left over 300 people killed and well over 500 others wounded. Very few major attacks were reported in that time, but the level of small attacks was significantly higher than the same period last year.
The attacks centered on a key Shi’ite holiday, which saw bombings across Shi’ite neighborhoods in Baghdad early in the week, and then targeted soccer fans in crowded cafes.
Even soccer can be a source of sectarian tensions in Iraq, as fans watched the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup. Iraq’s not going, after a poor showing in the qualifiers, but neighboring Iran is, meaning Iraqis Shi’ites will likely be rooting for them.
The death toll keeps up the pace of last month, which was the deadliest since 2007. The overall June figures remain to be seen, but this week suggests the borderline civil war levels remain intact.