The would-be suicide bombers were all at an Iraqi camp, presumably huddled around their commander, learning how to blow themselves up amid a crowd of people, when their teacher accidentally obliterated his own crowd, injuring 15 and ending the lives of 22.
The instructor was unnamed in a New York Times report, so little is known about the man other than he failed to realize his bomb belt was chock full of live explosives before showing his students how to detonate it. According to reports, all the students were and are members of a group called the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, an Al Qaeda faction that has been at war with the Iraqi army throughout the country's Anbar Province for years. After the blast, eight militants were arrested while trying to get away.
See also: Obama Considering Drone Strike on American Citizen
In Iraq, suicide bombings are a frequent occurrence. In the wake of America's military withdrawal from that country in 2011, violence has has returned to levels not seen for years. In 2013, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, 7,818 Iraqi civilians and police were murdered in acts of terrorism or other violence and 17,891 more were injured, making that year the most deadly since 2008.
The Al Qaeda force has enjoyed huge success in recent months, as they have wrested major cities away from Iraqi government control and have set their sights on bringing chaos to Baghdad, the country's capital.
U.S. and Iraqi officials are working out a plan to prevent that from happening. They hope to convince Sunni tribes to help the mostly-Shiite army fight the Sunni militants and help them gain control of the country again.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.