At least 36 people have been confirmed killed, potentially many more, in a pair of coordinated suicide bombings today in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, targeting day laborers in Tayaran Square.
Laborers gather daily in the square, looking for construction jobs, and have been targeted in the past. Today, a suicide bomber with an explosive belt hit the crowd, and started a panic, and another bomber detonated shortly thereafter, compounding the casualties.
On top of the large number of dead, estimates put the number wounded at 90 to 100. There has been no claim of responsibility, though speculation is that this is just the latest in a long line of attacks by ISIS.
An attack by ISIS right now would be particularly embarrassing for the government, as officials have “declared victory” over them and seem confident that Iraq’s long-standing security woes might be improving.
Whether it’s ISIS or somebody else, this attack in Tayaran Square shows the security situation is as bad as ever.
