After multiple weekend attacks in the Iraqi capital city underscored ISIS’ ability to continue carrying out such operations even as they defend their last major city from an offensive, ISIS has struck again, with a major bombing against a marketplace in Baghdad’s Shi’ite-dominated Sadr City, killing at least 35 people.
The attack was a suicide car bombing. In addition to the 35 people killed, 61 others were wounded and rushed to a nearby hospital. The hospital itself then became a target of an additional car bombing, which killed at least three more people.
The bomber who targeted the market apparently arrived in an area where day labourers gathered, and pretended to be hiring people. When people started crowding around, he detonated the explosives, killing himself and causing chaos around the area. Nine of the casualties were also women, whose bus was passing by when it was detonated.
Locals were harshly critical of the lack of security in the area, with three Iraqi security forces present at a checkpoint nearby, but apparently not detecting the explosives. The three were all killed in the detonation of the car bomb.
That wasn’t ISIS’ only attack, however, with a group of ISIS gunmen wearing suicide vests also attacking a police station in the city of Samarra. Casualties in that fighting are still unclear, but security officials said more police had been sent to reinforce the site.