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BAGHDAD (AP) – Two suicide bombings ravaged a bustling market in the Iraqi capital on Thursday, killing at least 28 people and injuring 73 others, officials said.
The rare suicide bombing hit the Bab al-Sharqi shopping area in central Baghdad amid heightened political tensions over scheduled early elections and a severe economic crisis. Blood stained the floors of the bustling market amid piles of clothes and shoes as survivors took stock of the disarray that followed.
No one immediately took responsibility for the attack, but Iraqi military officials said it was the work of the Islamic State group.
The Iraqi military said at least 28 people were killed and 73 injured in the attack and some of the injured were in serious condition. Several health and police officials said the toll could be higher. They spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with regulations.
The Ministry of Health announced that all its hospitals in the capital were mobilized to treat the wounded.
Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji, spokesperson for the Joint Operations Command, which includes a set of Iraqi forces, said the first suicide bomber shouted loudly that he was sick in the middle of the busy market, prompting a crowd to gather. him – and that’s where he detonated his explosive belt. The second detonated his belt soon after, he said.
“This is a terrorist act perpetrated by an Islamic State sleeper cell,” al-Khafaji said. He said ISIS “wanted to prove its existence” after suffering numerous blows in military operations to root out the militants.
The suicide bombings were the first in three years to target the bustling shopping area of Baghdad. A suicide bombing attack took place in the same area in 2018, shortly after then-prime minister Haidar al-Abadi declared victory over ISIS.
No one immediately took responsibility for Thursday’s attack, but Iraq has seen assaults by both ISIS and militias in recent months.
Militias have regularly targeted the US presence in Iraq with rocket and mortar attacks, particularly the US Embassy in the heavily fortified Green Zone of Baghdad. The pace of these attacks has slowed, however, since an informal truce was declared by Iranian-backed armed groups in October.
The style of Thursday’s assault was similar to that of ISIS in the past. But the group has rarely been able to penetrate the capital since it was ousted by Iraqi forces and the US-led coalition in 2017.
IS has shown its ability to stage increasingly sophisticated attacks in northern Iraq, where it still maintains a presence three years after Iraq declared victory over the group.
Iraqi security forces are frequently ambushed and targeted by IEDs in rural areas of Kirkuk and Diyala. An increase in attacks was seen last summer as activists took advantage of the government’s focus on tackling the coronavirus pandemic.
Thursday’s two bombings came days after the Iraqi government unanimously agreed to hold an early election in October. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced in July that early polls would be organized to respond to demands from anti-government protesters.
Protesters took to the streets by the tens of thousands last year to demand political change and an end to rampant corruption and poor services. More than 500 people have been killed in mass protests as security forces used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse crowds.
Iraq is also grappling with a severe economic crisis caused by low oil prices which has led the government to borrow internally and risks depleting its foreign exchange reserves. The Central Bank of Iraq devalued the Iraqi dinar by nearly 20% last year to meet its spending obligations.
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Associated Press editor Murtada Faraj contributed.
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