Two mentally disabled women were strapped with explosives Friday and sent into busy Baghdad markets, where they were blown up by remote control, a top Iraqi government official said.
(snip)
The aide said authorities believe the women were unaware of plans to detonate the explosives.
The nationalities and identities of the women have not been released.
U.S. military officials referred to the two attacks as suicide bombings, saying both women detonated the explosive devices.
Source ~ CNN(emphasis mine)
Two mentally disabled women, wrapped with explosives, sent into a pet market crowded with men and women and children looking at soft dogs and cats, singing parakeets, enjoying the day.
Two mentally disabled women, detonated by remote control.
The coordinated attacks, at the hugely popular Ghazil animal market and the smaller New Baghdad bird market four miles away, came within minutes of each other on the Muslim day of prayer.
Source ~ The New York Times
Some eyewitnesses were not among the at least 65 killed, the at least 148 wounded:
One eyewitness, Mohammed Qasem, 35, a roadside vendor at Ghazil, said he saw the woman minutes before the explosion, apparently behaving normally.
"She was guiding a small kid with her and she wasn’t uncomfortable at all because she was walking and looking behind her," he said.
"The child who was with her stopped near me when I saw her for the last time, and a few seconds later the explosion happened and I was thrown a couple of meters away from my booth. I recognized her later when I saw the head but the child had vanished, and I want to know what happened to him because I can’t forget the innocent look in his eyes."
Mentally disabled women, children, innocent animals. Eyewitnesses, recalling horrors by recognizing a head.
I am so very sick at heart.