At least 32 dead in double suicide bombing in busy Baghdad market
Twin suicide bombings have ripped through a busy market in the Iraqi capital, killing at least 32 people and wounding dozens, officials said.
The rare suicide bombing attack hit the Bab al-Sharqi commercial area in central Baghdad amid heightened political tensions over planned early elections and a severe economic crisis.
Blood smeared the floors of the busy market amid piles of clothes and shoes as survivors took stock of the disarray in the aftermath.
Iraq’s health minister Hassan Mohammed al-Tamimi said at least 32 people were killed and 110 others were wounded in the attack.
The scene in the busy market area in the aftermath of the bombings
A suicide bomb attack took place in the same area in 2018 shortly after then-Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi declared victory over the so-called Islamic State (IS) group.
No one immediately took responsibility for Thursday's attack, but Iraq has seen assaults perpetrated by both the Islamic State group and militia groups in recent months.
Militias have routinely targeted the American presence in Iraq with rocket and mortar attacks, especially the US Embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.
The pace of those attacks, however, has decreased since an informal truce was declared by Iran-backed armed groups in October.
The style of Thursday's assault was similar to those IS has conducted in the past.
But the group has rarely been able to penetrate the capital since being dislodged by Iraqi forces and the US-led coalition in 2017.
The twin bombings came days after Iraq's government unanimously agreed to hold early elections in October.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had announced in July that early polls would be held to meet the demands of anti-government protesters.