BAGHDAD (AP) – Twin suicide bombings tore through a busy market in the Iraqi capital on Thursday, killing at least 28 people and wounding 73 others, officials said.
The rare suicide bombing hit the Bab al-Sharqi commercial area in central Baghdad amid heightened political tensions over the planned early elections and a serious economic crisis. Blood smeared the floors of the busy market amid piles of clothes and shoes as survivors studied the disorder in the aftermath.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iraqi military officials said it was the work of the Islamic State group.
The Iraqi army said at least 28 people had been killed and 73 wounded in the attack, saying some of the injured were in critical condition. Several health and police officials said the toll could be higher. They spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with the regulations.
The Ministry of Health has announced that all its hospitals in the capital have been mobilized to treat wounded.
Maj. Gen. Tahsin al-Khafaji, spokesman for the Joint Operations Command, which includes a series of Iraqi forces, said the first suicide bomber shouted loudly that he was ill in the busy market, asking a crowd to come around him – and then he exploded his explosive belt. The second exploded his belt shortly thereafter, he said.
“This is a terrorist act carried out by an Islamic State dungeon,” al-Khafaji said. He said IS “wanted to prove its existence” after being hit hard during military operations to exterminate the militants.
The suicide bombings were the first in three years to target Baghdad’s active trading area. A suicide bombing took place in the same area in 2018 shortly after then-Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi declared victory over the Islamic State group.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday, but Iraq has seen assaults committed by the Islamic State and militia groups 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 in Baghdad. However, the pace of these attacks has slowed since an informal ceasefire was declared in October by Iran-backed armed groups.
The style of Thursday’s assault was similar to that carried out by IS in the past. But the group has rarely been able to infiltrate the capital since being ousted in 2017 by Iraqi forces and the US coalition.
IS has shown the ability to present increasingly sophisticated attacks in northern Iraq, where it is still present three years after Iraq declared victory over the group.
Iraqi security forces are regularly ambushed and targeted by IEDs in rural Kirkuk and Diyala areas. Last summer, an increase in attacks was seen as militants took advantage of the government’s focus on tackling the coronavirus pandemic.
The twin bombing on Thursday came days after the Iraqi government unanimously agreed to hold early elections in October. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced in July that early polls would be held to meet the demands of protesters against the government.
Protesters took to the streets in tens of thousands last year to demand political change, and an end to rampant corruption and poor services. More than 500 people were killed during mass demonstrations when security forces used live rounds and tear gas to disperse crowds.
Iraq is also struggling with a severe economic crisis caused by low oil prices that has led the government to borrow internally and weaken foreign exchange reserves. The Central Bank of Iraq devalued Iraq’s dinar by almost 20% last year to meet its spending commitments.
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Associated Press author Murtada Faraj contributed.