Ali al-Hadi Mausoleum Attack (2016)
The Ali al-Hadi Mausoleum Attack occurred on July 7, 2016, when militants associated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) targeted this significant Shiite holy site in Balad, Iraq. This tragic event coincided with Eid al-Fitr, drawing large crowds of Shiite pilgrims to the mausoleum. The attack involved mortar fire and multiple suicide bombers, resulting in the deaths of over fifty individuals, with many others injured. A local hero, Najih Shaker al-Baldawi, was recognized for his bravery in confronting one of the attackers, sacrificing himself to protect others. The incident is part of a larger pattern of violence against Shiite Muslims in Iraq, particularly during the summer of 2016, and reflects ISIS's broader strategy of inciting sectarian conflict. In the aftermath, Iraqi authorities declared martial law in Balad and conducted a manhunt for the attackers. The attack drew widespread condemnation for targeting a sacred site filled with civilians engaging in religious observances. This reflects ongoing tensions and violence in Iraq, especially amid political instability and security challenges faced by the government.
Ali al-Hadi Mausoleum Attack (2016)
Date: July 7, 2016
Place: Balad, Iraq
Summary
The Sayid Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi Mausoleum attack was a terrorist incident targeting Shiite Muslims visiting the holy site in Balad, Iraq, just north of Baghdad. The attack killed more than fifty and was part of a series of attacks targeting the Iraqi Shiite community and linked to the terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Key Events
- July 3, 2016—ISIS militants attack the shopping district in the largely Shiite Karrada district of Baghdad, killing more than three hundred.
- July 7, 2016—ISIS militants use mortars, suicide car bombers, and automatic weapons to attack the Ali al-Hadi Mausoleum frequented by Shiite pilgrims, killing more than fifty visitors to the shrine.
- July 8, 2016—Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi fires Baghdad’s security chief in the wake of the mausoleum attack.
- July 24, 2016—ISIS claims responsibility for a bombing against Shiite targets in the Kadhimiya neighborhood of Baghdad, resulting in at least fourteen deaths.
Status
As of September 2016, the Iraqi military, with aid from US and allied forces, was continuing to fight ISIS militants in Iraq. ISIS claimed responsibility for the July 7 attack through the organization’s media outlet Amaq.
In-Depth Overview
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is a Sunni terrorist organization that emerged in 2013 after the militant organizations Taliban and al-Qaeda lost much of their former power due to US-led military operations. ISIS seeks to establish a worldwide Islamic caliphate based out of Syria and, toward that end, has either carried out or encouraged hundreds of terrorist attacks around the world targeting military, police, and civilians.
In the summer of 2016, ISIS increasingly targeted Shiite holy sites and areas with large populations of Shiite Muslims, leading up to and during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when millions of Muslims visit holy sites in Iraq and surrounding nations. On July 2, ISIS militants conducted a coordinated series of bombing attacks in the Karrada shopping district of Baghdad, an area that is predominantly Shiite. Militants detonated a truck packed with explosives on the main strip of the Karrada shopping area, while suicide bombers and armed militants attacked after the initial bombing. The attack killed more than three hundred and was the deadliest incident to occur in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.
On July 7, at approximately 11 p.m. local time, militants began firing mortars into the area surrounding the Sayid Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi Mausoleum, a holy site that attracts crowds of Shiite visitors each year. Sayid Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi was the tenth of the Twelve Shia Imams, who Shiites believe to be the spiritual successors of the prophet Muhammad. The attack coincided with Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which attracted large numbers of visitors to the shrine.
After the initial mortar attack, three suicide bombers rushed the mausoleum. Najih Shaker al-Baldawi, a local Balad resident who had been visiting the holy site, seized one of the bombers and held on as the bomber detonated his explosive belt. Al-Baldawi was later hailed as a hero for sacrificing himself to protect others at the site. None of the three bombers succeeded in destroying the Ali al-Hadi shrine within the mausoleum, with one bomber being shot by security guards and the other two detonating their belts outside the mausoleum. Following the bombing, a group of armed militants took control of the mausoleum and exchanged fire with Iraqi security for several hours. Some news sources claimed that security killed several of the attackers, though the details of the siege were not confirmed. After the shrine was liberated, emergency crews arrived in the area to address fires that spread to surrounding buildings from the explosions and mortar fire.
Representatives of the Iraqi government and other allied nations issued press releases condemning the attacks and the tactic of attacking a Muslim holy site filled with civilians attempting to observe their religious traditions. Police declared martial law and shut down roads leading into and out of Balad while searching for attackers who fled the scene. ISIS released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack and claiming to have killed more than one hundred enemies. Reports after the incident placed the number of those killed at closer to fifty-six after several wounded individuals succumbed to injuries. Reports from Iraq indicated that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi fired a high-ranking security chief in Baghdad as well as several other members of the security forces in the wake of the attack. Sheikh Abu Salam Saede, a tribal leader from Balad, gave statements to media outlets on his belief that ISIS was attempting to ignite sectarian violence between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in Iraq and throughout the Muslim world.
Terrorist attacks occurred in and around Baghdad every month in 2016, beginning with a series of January 11 attacks in Baghdad that killed at least fifty people. Terrorist incidents intensified in the summer, and news agencies noted that the attacks occurred during a time of government turmoil resulting from Prime Minister al-Abadi’s difficulty in filling key security posts and thus enacting needed security and police reforms.
Key Figures
Haider al-Abadi: Prime minister of Iraq since 2014.
Najih Shaker al-Baldawi: Balad resident hailed as a hero for sacrificing himself to limit the damage done by a suicide bomber.
Bibliography
Al-Jawoshy, O. (2016, July 7). Dozens killed in suicide attack on Shiite shrine north of Baghdad. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/08/world/middleeast/dozens-of-iraqis-killed-in-suicide-attack-on-shiite-mosque.html
Chulov, M. (2016, July 8). Iraq says Balad suicide blast is Isis attempt to stir up sectarian war. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/08/iraq-pilgrims-killed-in-attack-on-shia-sacred-site-north-of-baghdad
Cockburn, H. (2016, July 8). Isis claims fresh bomb attack at Shia holy site north of Baghdad. Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-claims-fresh-bomb-attack-at-shia-holy-site-north-of-baghdad-a7126766.html
Cole, B. (2016, July 8). Dozens killed in Eid al-Fitr attack on Shi’ite shrine near Baghdad. International Business Times. Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/dozens-killed-eid-attack-shiite-mausoleum-near-baghdad-1569537
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Iraqi PM fires head of security after shrine attack. (2016, July 8). Al Arabiya English. Retrieved from http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/07/08/At-least-20-killed-in-attack-on-Shiite-mausoleum-north-of-Baghdad.html
Irshaid, F. (2015, December 2). Isis, Isil, IS or Daesh? One group, many names. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27994277