At least 24 killed in bombing of Baghdad market

At least 24 killed in bombing of Baghdad market

Saturday, December 31, 2016 3:54 pm


iraq-bombing

No fewer than 24 civilians on Saturday were killed in a double suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State extremist militia targeting a busy market in Baghdad.

The city’s security services said in a statement that 39 were injured in the attack at central Baghdad’s al-Sinak market.

According to Saad Maan, the spokesman for the government security agency, the bombing was carried out by two suicide bombers wearing explosive belts.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement carried by its semi-official Amaq agency.

The radical Sunni group said that two suicide bombers detonated their explosive belts amid a crowd of Shiites at the market.

Meanwhile, Islamic State regards Shiite Muslims as heretics.

Police said earlier that the attack was the result of two back-to-back bombs detonated at a market that sells car accessories and electrical equipment.

Report says thousands of people visit the al-Sinak market every day.

In a separate incident, security forces said on Saturday that they had foiled a suicide car bombing targeting the mostly Shiite district of Kadhimiyah in northern Baghdad.

“Acting on intelligence information, Iraqi forces in northern Baghdad tracked down a car bomb with two suicide bombers, who planned to detonate it in Kadhimiyah.

“The forces ambushed the car, blew it up and killed the two bombers inside,’’ the Baghdad Security Operations said in a statement.

Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led air alliance, are pressing ahead with a campaign to drive Islamic State from its key stronghold of Mosul in northern Iraq.

Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, has been under Islamic State control since mid-2014. (dpa/NAN)


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