Suicide Bombings In and Around Iraqi Capital Kill 31 People

Two suicide attacks in and around the Iraqi capital on Thursday killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens, officials said.

The deadliest attack took place in a commercial area of a majority Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad. At least 19 civilians were killed and 46 wounded, police said.

Another suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into an Iraqi army checkpoint north of Baghdad, killing at least 12 people, police said. Seven civilians and five troops were killed in the attack in the town of Taji, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the capital, a police officer said. At least 32 people were wounded, he added.

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to brief the media.

In an online statement, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in the New Baghdad neighborhood, saying it targeted Shiite militia members. It later claimed responsibility for the Taji bombing in a second online statement, saying it was targeting the Iraqi army.

The Associated Press could not verify the authenticity of the statements, but they were posted on a militant website commonly used by the extremists.

The Sunni militant group often targets Iraq’s Shiite majority, security forces and government officials. Baghdad has seen near-daily attacks in recent weeks.

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Image courtesy of AP