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Islamic Salvation Front Bombs Basra
Basra, Republic of Iraq

November 15- 8 Chadian men are admitted to the country from Basra International Airport.

November 17- 6 Chadian men are admitted to the country from Mosul International Airport.

November 22- 7 Chadian men are arrested at Baghdad International Airport for falsified passports, detained, and deported back to Chad. Watchlist paperwork is filed to the Interior Ministry and promptly ignored.

December 26- Three Mosul Policemen and 6 suspects are killed during a raid. Weapons and explosives are found but no connection to the ISF is announced.

January 2- One National Policeman and 4 suspects are killed in a shootout at a checkpoint outside Basra. Attackers are later identified as smugglers, though the purpose of the attack is unknown.

January 13- 12 Population Mobilization Forces Militiamen are arrested for planning to bomb a Christian Church in Basra.

February 2- The Federal Investigations Directorate opens an investigation into the Islamic Salvation Front (OsivoIII) and their activities in Iraq.

February 11
Basra was a busy city. Home to over 2 million people, the city was carved out on the Shatt al-Arab waterway, intersection of the Tigris and Euphrates. Next to Baghdad, it was the other economic center of Iraq, acting as its only major port and taking in much of Iraq’s imports. The city's crowded shopping districts were no strangers to undirected traffic.

10:33 AM- One among many, a rusted van trudges down the busy city street, and is parked on a corner.

1:44 PM- A tow crew arrives to remove the van, and contacts police upon finding suspicious bags in the cabin.

2:04 PM- 4 Police officers arrive and confirm the bags. National Police are contacted and an EOD team is dispatched. Due to the density of traffic the area is not cleared.

2:22- Before the EOD team arrives, the van detonates. Two-thirds of the block is instantly consumed in flame.

The detonation of the car bomb rocked Basra. First responders were overwhelmed by the scale of the damage, leading to EMTs and police from surrounding districts being brought in. 32 deaths were reported immediately, and in the following 24 hours, 17 more would succumb to injuries. Over a hundred others would sustain injuries of various seriousness. Several homes were either destroyed or significantly damaged. The blast shattered windows for nearly a mile and the smoke plume was visible from anywhere in the city. A national outpouring of support followed, with the hashtag #BasraSolidarity circulating social media.

National Police and FID investigators were immediately brought in and the surrounding area was cordoned. Two days after the attack, the Ministry of Interior confirmed the bombing as an act of terror. Via social media accounts, the Islamic Salvation front took responsibility for the attack. The claim spread like wildfire through social media, and mainstream Iraqi news. Islamic-motivated violence has never been prominent in the middle east, and the activities of the ISF in Chad had been regarded as little more than a regional oddity by most Iraqi’s. Under mounting public pressure, Prime Minister Zahir Khalil made the following statement:

“What happened in our proud city of Basra is a tragedy in every regard. The Interior Ministry, including the National Police, Intelligence Directorate, and Investigations Directorate, have been working tirelessly to catch the perpetrators. Today, we can say with confidence that the Islamic Salvation Front is responsible for this attack. My administration and this country will not tolerate terrorism or religious violence of any kind. The ISF will be driven from this country permanently. The Interior Ministry will be working closely with MECO anti-terror investigators to apprehend the perpetrators. Iraq will be protected.”

OOC- sorry for the weaker post, not feeling super motivated rn