Islamic State claims twin Beirut blasts that killed dozens
Two suicide bombs kill at least 43 people and injure more than 200 others in the Lebanese capital
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for two suicide bomb attacks in the Lebanese capital Beirut, which killed at least 43 people and injured more than 200.
The two detonations occurred less than 150 metres apart, and within five minutes of each other, in the residential Bourj al-Barajneh district, a stronghold of Hezbollah forces fighting IS in Syria.
The timing of the blasts is a common tactic in suicide bomb attacks, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency. Detonating two bombs is designed to kill people who converge on the scene of the first explosion to help the wounded.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam condemned the attacks as "unjustifiable" and declared Friday a day of national mourning.
One witness described the site as a "scene of chaos and carnage" with a "lot of shattered glass on the street" and "a lot of blood".
Another described the sound: "When the second blast went off, I thought the world had ended."
The body of a third bomber, who appears to have been killed by the second blast before he could detonate his own explosives vest, was recovered from the rubble.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
According to a Lebanese security source speaking to CNN, a fourth would-be bomber survived the attack and has been taken into custody. He apparently told investigators that he was an IS recruit and that he and three other attackers arrived in Lebanon from Syria two days before.
Hezbollah said the bombing as "a Satanic terrorist act, carried out by apostates".
The BBC says the bombing is the worst in Beirut since the end of Lebanon's civil war in 1990. The country has seen much violence in recent decades, including a car bomb in the capital last year, for which IS claimed responsibility. According to the United Nations, the civil war in neighbouring Syria has contributed to intermittent violence near the border and has also led to more than a million people seeking refuge in Lebanon.
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
‘Extraordinary asymmetry’: the history of Israeli prisoner swapsIn The Spotlight Exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees is the latest in a series of trades in which Israeli lives appear to count for more
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
Inside Syria’s al-Hol campUnder the radar Aid cuts mean authorities face ‘uphill struggle’ to maintain security
-
Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky missionTalking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping missionSpeed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted


