Camp Speicher massacre
| Camp Speicher massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Northern Iraq offensive and persecution of Shias by the Islamic State | |
Picture of Camp Speicher in January of 2005, when it was still used as a United States military installation before being transferred to the Iraqi government in 2011. | |
Location within Iraq | |
| Location | Tikrit, Iraq |
| Coordinates | 34°36′36″N 43°40′48″E / 34.61000°N 43.68000°E |
| Date | 12 June 2014 |
| Target | Cadets of the Iraqi Armed Forces |
Attack type | |
| Deaths | 1,095–1,700 |
| Victims | Shia Muslims |
| Perpetrator | Islamic State |
| Motive | Anti-Shia sentiment |
On 12 June 2014, the Islamic State (IS) summarily executed between 1,095 and 1,700 Iraqi cadets near Tikrit. The killings took place during IS's Northern Iraq offensive, when the cadets were captured outside of Camp Speicher during their attempt to flee from the area. At the time of the massacre, there were between 5,000 and 10,000 unarmed cadets in the vicinity of Camp Speicher, and IS militants selected the Shia Muslims for execution. It was the deadliest act of terrorism in Iraq and the second-deadliest single act of terrorism in the world, surpassed only by the September 11 attacks in the United States.