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Iraq death toll from IS bombing of Baghdad market now at 73 Suicide bombing at Iraqi funeral kills at least 25
(about 7 hours later)
BAGHDAD — In Iraq, the death toll from devastating back-to-back market bombings carried out by the Islamic State group the previous day in eastern Baghdad climbed to 73 on Monday, officials said. BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber struck an Iraqi funeral on Monday, killing at least 25 people, including a local Shiite militia leader, in a town north of Baghdad that saw a wave of revenge attacks after a similar bombing in January.
Several of the critically wounded died overnight while 112 people remain in hospital, two police officials said. Also, at least five people were still missing after the blast that ripped through the crowded Mredi market in the Shiite district of Sadr City, followed by a suicide bombing amid the crowd that had quickly gathered at the site to help the victims. Another 52 people were wounded in the bombing in Muqdadiyah, about 60 miles (90 kilometers) north of the capital, according to security and hospital officials.
Three medical officials confirmed the latest death toll, which rose from the toll of 59 reported late Sunday. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The dead included a local commander in Asaib Ahl al-Haq, a powerful Shiite militia that is part of the state-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces, responsible for much of the security in the area.
Iraq’s Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, called on security forces to “exert further efforts to prevent the terrorists from carrying out their crimes against innocent civilians.” The Islamic State group bombed a cafe frequented by militiamen in Muqdadiyah in January, killing at least 32 people and triggering a wave of revenge attacks on Sunni mosques and civilians. The New York-based Human Rights Watch blamed the reprisal attacks on powerful militias within the Popular Mobilization Forces.
Al-Abadi, in a statement released late Sunday, said the attacks “will not stop us ... but they will increase the determination” of the army, security forces and paramilitary troops to dislodge the militants from areas under their control. No one immediately claimed Monday’s attack, which came a day after a double bombing in Baghdad claimed by the IS group killed 73 people.
The special U.N. envoy to Iraq, Jan Kubis, called the Sadr City bombings a “particularly vicious and cowardly terrorist attack” aimed against “peaceful civilians who were going about their daily business.” The initial blast ripped through a crowded market in the Shiite district of Sadr City. A suicide bomber then targeted the crowd that gathered to help the victims. 112 people remain hospitalized, two police officials said. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
“It is clearly aimed at inflaming sectarian strife,” he said Monday. Sunday’s bombings marked the deadliest single attack in the Iraqi capital in months, fueling fears that the IS group is resorting to mass attacks on civilians as it suffers battlefield setbacks.
The Islamic State group, which controls key areas in northern and western Iraq, promptly claimed responsibility for Sunday’s blasts. The militant Sunni Muslim group regularly targets government forces, civilians and especially Shiites, who the IS regards as heretics. IS still controls much of northern and western Iraq, but has been driven back in recent months. The government recently declared the western city of Ramadi “fully liberated.” IS had captured the city last year.
The market bombings in Sadr City were the deadliest attack in a wave of explosions that targeted other commercial areas in and outside Baghdad on Sunday and brought the day’s overall death toll to 92.
Seven other civilians were killed in attacks elsewhere and in Baghdad’s western suburb of Abu Ghraib, security forces earlier Sunday repelled an attack by IS militants that killed at least 12 members of the government and paramilitary troops and wounded 35 others.
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Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj contributed to this report.Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj contributed to this report.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.