|
Baghdad: After last Friday's bloody explosions carried out by two mentally disabled women who targeted pet markets in Baghdad, the disabled and institutions sponsoring them have been targeted by Iraqi security services.
"Indeed, we have visited houses and institutions sponsoring the mentally and physically disabled to verify the patients' disclosures and their file details to make sure there are no missing patients.
This is a security precaution lest the bloody pet markets explosions, which were implemented by mentally disabled women used by the Al Qaida organisation, ever happen again," Hani To'ama, an officer in the Iraqi interior ministry information and investigations agency, told Gulf News.
Some Iraqi families with mentally disabled members have started to impose strict measures on their moves.
"I have a 30-year-old son who has been mentally disabled since birth. We used to let him go out in the street before the pet market explosions but now we won't let him do that because we are afraid that he might be kidnapped and used to implement attacks.
Frankly, the latest explosions have made us more cautious about our son's safety," Aziz Al Nuami told Gulf News.
Afraid
In the meantime, the Iraqi Interior Ministry has told all police stations and Baghdad neighbourhood leaders to report any cases of missing mentally disabled people and to provide information with their names and photographs.
"I am a shop owner in one of Baghdad's big markets; since the explosions we are monitoring any mentally disabled entering the market. We are afraid of the handicapped whom we used to know and care about," Abu Sa'ad told Gulf News.
|
