IS claims twin deadly bombings in Iraq’s Baghdad

BAGHDAD—The Islamic State (IS) group on Sunday claimed responsibility for two deadly bomb attacks in eastern Baghdad that killed at least 28 people and wounded 62 others.

Two suicide bombers detonated themselves at the crowded popular Mreidy Market in the predominantly Shiite district of Sadr City in eastern Baghdad, killing and wounding dozens of people, according to an IS statement on the Internet, of which the authenticity could not be independently verified.

Earlier in the day, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua that a booby-trapped motorcycle went off at the marketplace, which was followed by a suicide bomber blowing up his explosive vest at the scene.

The attackers apparently followed the old tactic of first creating an initial explosion to attract security forces and people, and then setting off another blast to inflict heavier casualties.

The IS has frequently targeted areas where crowds of people gather, including markets, cafes and mosques across Iraq.

Iraq is currently witnessing a wave of violence since the IS terrorist group took control of parts of Iraq’s northern and western regions in June 2014.

Earlier, a UN report estimated more than 22,300 people were killed or injured in armed conflicts in Iraq in 2015.

Many blame the current chronic instability, cycle of violence, and the emergence of extremist groups such as the IS on the United States which invaded Iraq in March 2003 under the pretext of seeking to destroy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the country.

The US invasion has led to the ouster and eventual execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, but no WMD was found.