Al Qaeda and Iraq

Aug 7, 1998

Osama Bin Laden led Al Qaeda launched twin suicide attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 223.

Al Qaeda and their offshoots spread throughout the world, including the bombings in London in 2005 and in Bali in 2002.

Al Qaeda became infamous, almost overnight, around the world after hijacked airliners were used in attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11 2001. 9/11 remains the most deadly suicide bombings in history

A Lancet study found that at least 1,003 suicide bombings caused civilian casualties in Iraq between 2004 and 2010. Around 12,000 civilians were killed in this time period

The rise of the Islamic State (IS) – an al Qaeda offshoot – in Iraq is largely behind this continuation of suicide attacks in Iraq.

In 2015, suicide attacks were behind 56% of the 16,180 civilian deaths or injuries from improvised explosive devices (ieds) worldwide – including car bombs and roadside bombs.

38% In 2011, it was just (5,107 of 13,336).