Date: 20 February 2007

Location: Taji, Iraq

Type of event: terrorism

Description:

A bomb was detonated on a chlorine tanker truck near a restaurant in Taji, Iraq. The bomb was aboard the tanker truck, contrary to early reports that the truck struck a roadside bomb. Some accounts suggest the truck was parked and left by the driver shortly before it detonated near a restaurant. Most or all of the fatalities and some injuries were caused by the explosion itself. The majority of non-fatal injuries, however, were from inhalation of chlorine fumes, affecting nearby homes and schools. About 150 people, including 42 women and 52 children, were hopitalized, with 60 hopitalized at least overnight; others were treated or checked and did not require admission.

Consequences: 9 killed, 150 injured

References:

• Berthelsen, Christian, 21 Feb. 2007, "Rape allegations amid Iraq car bombings," Los Angeles Times, on line [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-ex-iraq21feb22,0,3966937.story?coll=la-home-headlines].
• Cave, Damien, and Ahmad Fadam, 21 Feb. 2007, "Militants using chemical bombs in Iraq," New York Times, on line [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/world/middleeast/21cnd-baghdad.html].
• CNN, 21 Feb. 2007, "Scores choke in poison gas attack," CNN, on line [http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/20/iraq.main/].
• Murphy, Brian, 21 Feb. 2007, "Gas tanker blast kills nine in Iraq," ABC News, on line [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2891031].
• Gamel, Kim, 23 Feb. 2007, "Pentagon warns of chemical attacks," Seattle Times, on line [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003585106_iraq23.html].
• Jones, Robert, Brandon Wills, and Christopher Kang, 2010, "Chlorine gas: An evolving hazardous material threat and unconventional weapon, " Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 11(2):151-156, on line at NCBI [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908650/].

© 2017 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 3 December 2017.
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