A Most Violent Weekend: Iraq, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia

Despite the many celebrations this weekend – from Canada Day, American Independence Day, the final days of Ramadan and beyond – many celebrations were cut short from a global wave of bombings that took place within 48 hoursof each other, leaving victims from several nationalities. The most severe terror took place in Iraq, where ISIS claimed responsibility for the Baghdad bombings that left over 200 people dead. A suicide truck bomb detonated in a busy shopping district on Saturday, becoming the single deadliest attack in the country in years. 

Dhaka Mourns The Blow Of Prep School Boys

Meanwhile, Bangladesh remains in shock after six suspected terrorists created an 11-hour siege on a bakery in Dhaka, leaving 20 hostages, two police officers and the six attackers dead. ISIS is trying to take credit for this attack but thegovernment denies this claim. At first, the police declined to name the young men but friends and relatives recognized photographs that were posted on a messaging app by ISIS. The media is left scratching its head, wondering why the Dhaka attackers came from such elite families, all of whom attended prestigious schools and universities. Even the son of a former city leader in the prime minister’s own Awami League, the governing party, was among the attackers.

Saudi Arabia Struggles To Celebrate Eid

On the eve of Eid al-Fitr, at least four people died when a suicide bomberattacked the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, the second most holy site in Islam. Yet, this had already been the third suicide attack in Saudi Arabia within 24 hours. The first occurred before dawn near the US Consulate in Jeddah, which resulted in the attacker killing himself only. Not long after, another suicide bomber tried to launch an attack in Shiite mosque in Qatif but failed, also exclusively killing himself in the process. While no person or group has taken responsibility for these thankfully botched attacks, experts suspect ISIS, given the targets placed on Americans and Shia minorities. 

Nutshell: The Origins Of ISIS