By Andrew Warshaw
June 27 – The deaths of a group of Iraqi youth footballers in a bomb blast has caused shock and anguish across the region with FIFA vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein saying he was “appalled” by the explosion.
In Hilla in the south of the country, a bomb attached to a minibus exploded near a field where two youth teams had just finished a game.
The blast was the latest in a wave of attacks in the area, with more than 140 people killed this month alone, although there have been few instances of sportsmen and women being either deliberately or inadvertently targeted.
Nine players and fans were killed, all aged between 15 and 20 according to local reports, with another 30 injured.
“I am appalled by today’s attacks in Hilla which took the innocent lives of nine young members of our football family,” said Prince Ali, head of the Jordanian Football Association.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones as well as the Iraqi football family which has faced many challenges in recent years in rebuilding football in Iraq and giving Iraqi youth hope for a peaceful future.”
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