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BAGHDAD (AP) – Two suicide bombings ravaged a bustling market in the Iraqi capital on Thursday, killing at least 32 people and injuring dozens, 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 was splattered on the sidewalk of the bustling market amid piles of clothes and shoes as survivors took stock of the dismay that followed.
No one immediately took responsibility for the attack, but Iraqi military officials said it was the work of the Islamic State group.
Iraqi Health Minister Hassan Mohammed al-Tamimi said at least 32 people were killed and 110 injured in the attack. He said some of the injured were in serious condition. The Iraqi military previously estimated the death toll at 28.
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.
At the Vatican, Pope Francis denounced the attack on Baghdad as a “senseless act of brutality” and urged Iraqis to continue working to replace violence with brotherhood and peace. The condolence telegram sent to the Iraqi president was particularly heartfelt, given that Francis is due to travel to Iraq in early March to try to encourage Christian communities in the country that have been devastated by IS persecution.
Thursday’s two 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 region in 2018, shortly after then Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi declared victory over Islamic State, a militant Sunni group.
Iraq has witnessed attacks by both ISIS and, for the most part, by Shiite 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 writer Murtada Faraj in Baghdad contributed to this report.
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