Iraqi Health Minister Hassan Mohammed al-Tamimi said at least 32 people were killed and 110 others wounded in the attack. He said some of the wounded were in a serious condition. Iraq’s military has earlier put the death toll at 28.
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 ISIS “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 ISIS 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.
ISIS has shown the ability to launch 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.