ISIS has confirmed credit for the latest attack on a Shi’ite mosque in Iraq, today targeting one in the capital city of Baghdad, killing 15 people and wounding at least 48 others in a pair of bombing attacks.
The bombers detonated separately, with the first detonating inside the mosque, killing a number of people, and then the second waiting for security forces to arrive before detonating himself, killing at least three members of the security team.
This “double tap” technique has been common in ISIS bombing attacks, aiming to maximize casualties with a second bombing targeting those gathered around in the wake of the first. ISIS said the two attackers were wearing simple explosive belts.
The ISIS statement went on to insist the attack targeted “apostates,” their common term for Shi’ites, and suggested more attacks could be expected in the future. ISIS attacks Shi’ite mosques virtually every week, and at times has tried to make such targets some of their highest profile.