The Bombing
At around 9 a.m. on 13 June 2007, insurgents destroyed the two remaining ten-story tall golden minarets flanking the ruins of the dome of the Al-Askari Mosque. The mosque compound and minarets had been closed since the 2006 bombing and no fatalities were reported. Iraqi police reported hearing "two nearly simultaneous explosions coming from inside the mosque compound at around 9 am" Local residents reported blasts that shook the city and sent a cloud of dust into the air.
While it has been stated that "the collapse of the two minarets appeared to have been caused by explosive charges placed at their bases", different reports have caused some confusion as to whether bombs were actually used. A release from state run Iraqia Television stated that "local officials said that two mortar rounds were fired at the two minarets", in addition "a government spokesman claimed the minarets were hit by rockets".
It has been noted that the attack was one in a string of bombings in 2007 against major Shi'ite shrines, including two car bomb attacks in Karbala: one near the Imam Husayn Shrine (which killed 36 people and wounded 168) and the other near the Imam Abbas shrine, the second-holiest site in Shi'ite Islam, which killed at least 58 people and wounded 169.
Read more about this topic: 2007 Al-Askari Mosque Bombing
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