Note: This story was originally published in Al-Daffla Blog, a joint media venture between Duffel Blog and Al Jazeera.
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Mourners have descended upon the Martyrs Mosque to pay their respects to more than 42 dead following a reunion of Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans on Thursday.
The reunion event — which brought OIF veterans from as far as Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Minneapolis, Minn. — began as a dinner and drinking celebration of shared combat experiences, but took a tragic turn after one veteran attended the event in his uniform, which exploded shortly after he arrived.
